BrighterMonday, Mastercard Foundation Launch GenKazi Program to Tackle Youth Unemployment in North Rift

 

Thousands of Young Kenyans to Benefit from Digital Career Tools, AI-Driven Job Matching, and Soft Skills Training

By Wasike Elvis

A new partnership between BrighterMonday Kenya and the Mastercard Foundation promises to transform the employment landscape for youth in Kenya’s North Rift region, where unemployment and underemployment continue to pose a major challenge.

Under the Generation Kazi (GenKazi) Program, the initiative aims to equip at least 2,000 young job seekers with critical soft skills, digital career tools, and access to employers actively recruiting across various sectors. The program also targets underserved groups, including women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and internally displaced persons (IDPs), who often face additional barriers to employment.

The North Rift, encompassing counties such as Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, and Turkana, has long struggled with youth unemployment, despite rising levels of education. According to the 2023 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) report, nearly 39% of Kenyans aged 18 to 35 remain unemployed or underemployed, with regional towns particularly affected due to limited job linkages and lack of modern, market-relevant skills.

“By equipping youth with practical skills and matching them with hiring organizations, the GenKazi Program addresses the persistent youth unemployment gap in Kenya,” said Sarah Ndegwa, Managing Director of BrighterMonday Kenya. “Underserved and regional towns also need to be prepared as growing hubs for workforce innovation.”

The GenKazi Program emphasizes digital readiness and real-world employability by integrating AI-driven job matching tools, enabling better alignment between candidate profiles and employer needs. This tech-forward approach is designed to improve employment outcomes and position young Kenyans competitively in a digital-first economy.

The initiative falls under the Mastercard Foundation’s wider Young Africa Works (YAW) strategy, which aims to create dignified and meaningful work for 30 million young Africans by 2030—70 percent of them women. In Kenya, YAW supports both students transitioning from university to the workforce and graduates actively seeking employment or launching entrepreneurial ventures.

Through the GenKazi rollout in the North Rift, BrighterMonday and Mastercard Foundation are working to bridge the gap between education and employment, ensuring that marginalized communities are not left behind as Kenya’s labor market evolves.

“This partnership is a critical step toward inclusive economic growth,” added Ndegwa. “It ensures that young people, regardless of geography or background, are empowered with the tools they need to succeed.”

The program is expected to begin immediate implementation, with training and employer engagement activities already scheduled across several counties in the North Rift region.