Nairobi: The State Department for Housing and Urban Development has commenced a three-day induction programme for its newly recruited interns ahead of their posting to various affordable housing and institutional housing projects in January next year.

According to Kenya News Agency, the Department's Deputy Director in charge of Human Resources, Joseph Kagiri, stated that the training targets some 5,000 individuals who qualified to join the first cohort of the Affordable Housing Programme for a 12-month internship. He described this as an opportunity for interns to transition from the academic world to the practical workplace, where they will apply theoretical knowledge in practice.

'We started with about 42,000 applicants, shortlisted 9,000, and have taken on board over 5,000. This internship will serve as an opportunity for them to apply what they have learnt in their various fields of study to practical use in a real-life environment,' said Kagiri.

Kagiri acknowledged the mismatch between current education and industry demands, underscoring the urgent need for education sector reforms. He called for strengthening technical courses, which are essential for the construction industry. 'There is a gap in our training, and this is something that we must take seriously. There is a need for the education system to be remodelled and the curriculum to be re-tailored to meet the demands of the market,' stated Kagiri.

Central Region Affordable Housing Coordinator Albert Gakuru emphasized that the government is banking on the support of interns to deliver on its ambitious infrastructure development agenda. Interns will be posted in various affordable housing and institutional housing projects throughout the country.

While addressing some 126 interns in Nyeri, Gakuru noted that the cohort comprised graduates from different professions. He said that beyond mentorship, the programme aims to integrate interns into the workforce and empower them to become employers.

'We have marketers because Kenyans want more information about owning a house and about Boma Yangu. We have others in the building environment, such as Quantity Surveyors, Architects, Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, and we want them to work with our consultants and technical team to gain practical knowledge by working on a site, supervising, inspecting, and guiding contractors,' he explained.

Gakuru added, 'We have people from professions such as Community Development studies because we need to engage Kenyans on the projects to understand the benefits and impacts, making the projects more people-friendly.'

The interns are expected to report for duty on January 5, 2026.