President William Ruto, on Friday, January 23, led the commissioning of 5,000 graduate interns working under the affordable housing project.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony at State House on January 23, President William Ruto said the Affordable Housing Programme has come of age, noting that it is currently engaging 5,500 graduate interns drawn from various disciplines.
“The Affordable Housing Programme has come of age. Currently engaging 5,500 Affordable Housing Programme graduate interns, comprising architects, civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, and quantity surveyors, among others,” he said.
The President said the programme is giving interns an opportunity to sharpen the skills they acquired in school and apply them in real-world projects.
The commissioned interns and graduates were drawn from a wide range of professional disciplines supporting the housing programme. These included 240 architects, 52 assistant architects, 52 construction managers, 366 civil engineers, 359 electrical engineers, and 214 mechanical engineers.
Also among those commissioned were some 257 quantity surveyors, 63 assistant quantity surveyors, and 346 structural engineering assistants.
Others were trained in environmental practice, geographic information systems, health and safety, land surveying, real estate, valuation, and social and urban planning.
Ruto on Creating Employment For the Youth
Ruto said the Affordable Housing Programme is helping to create job opportunities, particularly for young people who are unemployed.
In his speech, he added that more than 530,000 young Kenyans are working in different parts of the world, monetising their knowledge and skills.
As a result, Kenya’s remittances have risen by $1 billion, from $3.8 billion in 2022 to $5.2 billion annually.
He thanked the public servants and working Kenyans who have contributed to the Housing Fund, describing them as the true heroes of the programme.
During the commissioning, the President said he takes full responsibility to ensure that every cent contributed is used prudently in the development of houses, markets, and hostels.
CS Alice Wahome and PS Hinga Assure Interns of Stipends
On her part, Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome proposed that the internship programme should run annually.
She noted that while the programme previously worked only with professionals, it now includes interns.
Project sites will provide them with hands-on experience, and they will receive stipends while carrying out their duties.
Housing Principal Secretary (PS) Charles Hinga also confirmed that the interns will receive stipends in accordance with Public Service Commission guidelines.
He added that since the programme started earlier this month, the interns will receive their first stipend next week, describing the process as seamless.
PS Hinga explained that the interns are assigned to specific blocks because each block involves multiple activities, including plumbing, engineering, electrical work, lift installation, excavation, and gas installation.
Interns will be responsible for supervising staff and overseeing various disciplines at the block level, rather than at the overall site level, based on their qualifications.
Also Read: 20% of Affordable Housing Units to Be Reserved for Teachers
Interns Share Expectations
One of the beneficiaries, Helen Busuru from Busia County, said the internship will help her transition from student to the job market.
She explained that she applied through the Public Service Commission, went through the interview process, and was successfully shortlisted for the internship.
Likewise, Stacy, a law graduate from Nairobi University, applied for the internship and was successful. Her fears of not finding a job were eased when she was informed that she had passed the interview.
She hopes the programme will help her gain experience and eventually transition into the job market.
Also Read: Affordable Housing Push Creates 330,000 Jobs, Injects Ksh 11B into Jua Kali and Small Businesses
Affordable Housing Locally Funded
Ruto added that the government has signed contracts worth Ksh600 billion under the Affordable Housing Programme, reiterating that the initiative is fully locally funded.
He said the housing programme is financed with domestic resources and implemented by Kenyan companies, noting that no funds were borrowed from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank.
He defended the project, saying it required political courage to implement.
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I am one of the onboarded. Thank you for a great piece