{
  "id": 18125597,
  "title": "Ruto reveals number of university students interning on his farms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/ruto-reveals-number-of-university-students-interning-on-his-farms",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T13:42:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/news/ruto-reveals-number-of-university-students-interning-on-his-farms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President William Ruto disclosed on November 4, 2026 that he offers internship positions to between 10 and 15 university students at his farms, where they receive a stipend while gaining hands-on work experience. The President explained that he frequently engages with these young individuals, noting that they often possess academic knowledge but are eager to grasp how their studies translate into real-world work settings. \"I'm a farmer, you know. I provide internships for between 10 and 15 young people from universities to intern in my farm. We pay them a stipend and they are very interesting,\" Ruto remarked. He emphasized that the students are enthusiastic about gaining practical experience in farming operations and understanding how various processes work beyond academic teachings. Leveraging his personal experience, Ruto urged other employers and companies to extend internship opportunities to university graduates seeking practical training, suggesting that such placements would provide valuable experience for six months to a year in real working environments. He said, \"Those of us who can provide internship opportunities for young people to engage with a real opportunity in a factory, in an industry, in a manufacturing space, in a trading space, that would add a lot of value.\" According to Ruto, such arrangements would benefit employers by enabling them to identify and prepare potential employees while simultaneously equipping young people with industry-specific skills. He stated that exposing interns to daily business operations would allow them to learn directly from experienced workers and comprehend the demands of different professions. This statement followed as thousands of Kenyan graduates annually face competition for limited formal employment, with an estimated one million young people entering the labor market each year, while formal job creation falls short of absorbing the burgeoning workforce. Informal employment currently accounts for roughly 83.8% of Kenya’s labor force, according to figures from a recent World Bank report. Many graduates encounter difficulties securing employment due to employers' insistence on prior work experience, even for entry-level positions. Ruto's appeal for increased private-sector participation aligns with the government's plans to augment internship opportunities for young graduates. Earlier government proposals aimed to add 50,000 placements to the National Internship Programme starting January 2027, targeting university, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and college graduates with monthly stipends and incentives to encourage private-sector participation. This initiative is part of broader efforts to provide young people with workplace exposure, enhancing their chances of securing employment.",
  "summary": "President William Ruto has revealed that he offers internship opportunities to between 10 and 15 university students on his farms, where they receive stipends as they gain practical work experience. Speaking on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the President said he regularly interacts with the young people, noting that many arrive with academic knowledge but are […]",
  "key_points": [
    "President Ruto offers 10-15 university internships at his farms.",
    "Interns receive stipend and practical farming experience.",
    "Ruto calls for more private-sector internship opportunities."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}