290 youth benefit from digital literacy training

Some 290 youth in Homa Bay County have been trained on digital skills, to empower them to fully participate in the digital economy.

The latest cohort brings to 6,030 the total number of young men and women trained so far since the inception of the programme in 2019.

Dubbed 'Huawei DigiTruck' the programme provides free training in digital skills.

Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo who presided over the graduation at Oriwo Boys High School, said the training seeks to equip the youth with essential computer literacy, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity skills.

The 143 women and 147 men underwent an intensive six-week programme. 

“Since its inception in 2019, the programme has trained over 6,030 youth across 36 counties, with Homa Bay being the latest beneficiary. The initiative seeks to promote digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and online safety,” the PS said.

As Chair of the National Computer and Cybercrime Coordination Committee (NC4), Dr Omollo reiterated that government is expanding digital education.

“We call upon local leaders, businesses, and stakeholders to support this initiative since investing in digital education builds stronger communities and a more prosperous nation,” he said. 

The PS at same time warned that the increasing trend of individuals using social media irresponsibly, disregarding the limits of free speech.

The government is considering a national framework for content moderation and filtering to ensure responsible access to digital content.

“Given the real-world impact of digital actions, a more pronounced physical presence of enforcement agencies is essential. We must also implement effective deterrent measures against repeat offenders to curb digital misconduct,” PS Omollo said.

The PS who is on a tour of the Nyanza region also said the government was actively engaging teachers to garner support for the education reforms.