Can Kenya answer the call for employment?

Kenya is facing rising public discontent over allegations of political corruption, economic stagnation and a shortage of good quality jobs, particularly for the country’s Gen Z.

One of the government’s flagship responses is an ambitious push into digital outsourcing. It argues that call centres, coding work and other IT-enabled services can position the country as a global hub and generate a million new jobs within five years.

The model has worked before in countries such as India and the Philippines, but the global landscape is shifting. Advances in artificial intelligence are already transforming the very roles Kenya hopes to attract, raising questions about whether this strategy can deliver long-term employment at scale.

Tanya Beckett asks whether Kenya’s vision for digital outsourcing can provide stability and opportunity for the country.

This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Can Kenya answer the call for employment?

Contributors Joy Kiiru, senior lecturer at the Department of Economics and Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya

Marcus Larsen, professor at the Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark

Deepa Mani, faculty member and deputy Dean for academic programmes at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India

Boaz Munga, research consultant at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, Nairobi, Kenya

Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey

(Photo: President of Kenya William Ruto. Credit: Luis Tato/Getty Images)