Nairobi: Kirinyaga youth have turned to technology in an effort to cushion against unemployment, following the launch of a digital marketplace designed to connect job seekers, service providers, traders, buyers, and players in the transport sector.
According to Kenya News Agency, the platform, dubbed KiliMarket, was launched by the Kirinyaga Young Professionals Forum as part of efforts to harness technology and create new economic opportunities for young people in the County.
Speaking during the launch of the platform, Kirinyaga Young Professionals Forum Chairman Andrew Murigu highlighted the importance of digitization, noting that many young people are already using social media platforms to market their businesses and reach a wider customer base. He emphasized that KiliMarket would also benefit youthful Boda boda riders who are increasingly embracing digital platforms to access customers and increase their incomes.
Murigu explained that by registering on the platform, service providers such as plumbers, electricians, agronomists, and veterinarians could receive direct job linkages from people seeking their services. He encouraged service providers to register on the platform so that potential customers can easily find and engage them.
The Young Professionals Secretary-General, Nicholas Bundi, stated that the platform would unite different user categories, including job seekers, service providers, traders, and players in the transport sector. He explained that the goal of KiliMarket is to facilitate service access while creating income opportunities for young people.
Kirinyaga County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Trade, Calbert Njeru, who attended the event, announced that the county government is preparing to roll out a fund allocated in the county budget to support innovative ideas and initiatives. He noted that the fund would assist young innovators and entrepreneurs needing start-up capital or other resources to develop their ideas.
Njeru noted that the County possesses a generation of young people with creative and innovative ideas capable of developing solutions to societal challenges. He expressed confidence in the youth’s potential to explore digital avenues and create platforms to improve their lives.
Mwea Member of Parliament (MP), Mary Maingi, highlighted a mismatch between the skills demanded by the labour market and those being produced through the education system. She called for educational reforms to equip young people with skills that respond to changing labour-market needs. Maingi also urged young people to support leaders who prioritize innovation, digital literacy, and progressive ideas.
The launch of KiliMarket comes amid growing calls for innovative approaches to tackling youth unemployment, with stakeholders increasingly looking towards technology, entrepreneurship, and value addition as alternative pathways to employment.
