Kenya

Kenya, with its central location, extensive road network and port, is the economic hub of East Africa. In recent years, Kenya experienced steady economic growth and an expanding entrepreneurial middle class. Agriculture is the main economic driver contributing to 25% of its GDP. Kenya boasts of a relatively mature financial system with the fintech sector among the fastest growing in Africa.   

Kenya is a youthful country, with 75% of its population below 35 years. For years, Kenya has played a critical role in supporting humanitarian activities in the region and today serves as the second biggest refugee-hosting country in Africa. Kenya's focus lies on eradicating poverty and growing the economy through the Big Four Agenda that creates jobs in the fastest growing industries - manufacturing, food security, housing, and healthcare.
 
Kenya

facts and Figures

  • Area: 580,367 km²
  • Population: 47.6 million
  • Capital: Nairobi

Swisscontact in Kenya

  • since 1997

Projects

Kenya
Initial vocational education and training
Building skills for young plumbers and electricians through dual apprenticeship training (PropelA)
The PropelA project seeks to introduce a dual apprenticeship model driven by employers for the construction industry in Kenya and beyond, starting with plumbers and electricians.

News

Kenya
14.06.2024
Private sector vital in training for the construction industry
Countries with successful Dual TVET programs, like Switzerland, involve the private sector in designing and delivering vocational training. Switzerland’s private sector, a key factor in its economic success, plays a significant role in vocational training, producing a well-qualified workforce and maintaining low youth unemployment rates.

My involvement in Swisscontact’s PropelA dual apprenticeship program, launched in Kenya in 2022, has highlighted the importance of collaboration in delivering effective TVET programs. The participation of industry, with the National Industrial Training Authority accrediting firms, aligns the curriculum with industry needs, addressing both current and future demands
Kenya
20.05.2024
Building a Brighter Future: Inside the HILTI Foundation's Visit to PropelA Dual Apprenticeship Programme
The visit culminated in a dynamic networking event, fostering connections between key stakeholders from Kenya's construction industry, industry association, vocational institution, and government. This gathering served as a powerful testament to PropelA's commitment to a holistic and collaborative approach to transforming the sector.
Kenya
05.04.2024
PropelA Dual Apprenticeship Makes Strides in Championing Public-Private Partnerships for Kenyan TVET at LELAM Conference
In April 2024, Swisscontact's PropelA dual apprenticeship program, funded by the Hilti Foundation, took center stage at the LELAM International TVET Conference 2024, held from April 4th to 5th in Zurich, Switzerland. This program, focused on cultivating industry-specific skills in electrical and plumbing trades, was the only project chosen from Africa to represent a groundbreaking approach to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Country Director Kenya
Lillian Mwai - Ndegwa

Interventions

Swisscontact works in Kenya to reduce unemployment and improve the livelihoods of refugees, smallholders, MSMEs and the youth. Swisscontact strengthens their prospects of gainful employment by facilitating technical skills training, promoting financial literacy, and offering linkages to formal financial institutions.  

For over a decade, Swisscontact has played a role in alleviating poverty through implementing interventions that increase access to financial products and services. Through Inclusive Finance Programmes micro-enterprises, subsistence farmers and low-income households have increased their economic activities.  

In the Kakuma Refugee Camp Swisscontact supports refugees and the host community to move from humanitarian support to a lasting development pathway. Activities include income-generating capabilities and employability by facilitating technical skills training in addition to literacy, numeracy, financial and life skills, combining theoretical and hands-on techniques. 

Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
Inclusive Finance Programme - 14 Years of Financial Services in East Africa
Although the 2018 IMF Financial Access Survey confirms a positive trend in access to financial products and services in Sub-Saharan Africa, many people are still excluded from the formal financial market system. Sub-Saharan Africa comprises 48 countries and 47% of the people live on less than $ 1.9 a day (World Bank 2018). To a considerable extent...
Skills for Life - project journey
The Promoting Life Skills and Livelihoods project commonly referred to as Skills for Life (S4L) was designed to strengthen the income-generating capabilities of youth (both refugee and from the host community) in Kakuma by enhancing their technical, financial, life and literacy skills to improve their chances of an enriched livelihood.
Microleasing
Transforming the lives of entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers through innovative financial solutions.

The Journey of Microleasing in Eastern Africa 2006 – 2017.
Jobs
Motivated and productive employees with initiative constitute the most important success factor in all areas of our work. We count on individuals who are looking to the future, impact- and team-oriented, and want to work in international development cooperation.

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Contact

Swisscontact in Kenya
6th Floor, Victoria Plaza
11 Parklands Road, Westlands
Nairobi