The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Innovation & Youth Affairs, Hon Joe Mucheru has today presided over the pre-deployment briefing exercise of 400 Presidential Digital Talent Programme (PDTP)Cohort VI for the Financial Year 2021-2022.
DigiTalent, the brand name of the Presidential Digital Talent Programme (PDTP), an internship programme that develops the ICT talent pool in Kenya through a collaboration between the public and private sectors is to be implemented by the Ministry of Information Communications and Technology (MoICT) through the ICT Authority (ICTA).
The pre-deployment exercise at The University of Nairobi was a culmination of their induction which started on the 8th of November 2021. The 400 Interns were recruited from all 47 counties, 32% of them being women.
The interns are set to receive a monthly stipend of KES. 25,000.
CS Mucheru urged the cohorts to be “the army that should be telling Kenyans about all the planes that have landed safely – telling good stories on all the government projects happening across Kenya”.
“There is too much silence yet so much good that is happening around. Be custodians of the truth, respect your seniors and take advantage of the opportunity offered to you through this programme to increase your chances of succeeding tomorrow”, said the CS.
The CS also said that the country is changing for the better and that digital skills are needed to enable effective roll out of the overall government of Kenya agenda and inspire economic growth. He added that the government of Kenya is committed to foster a globally competitive and adaptive ICT workforce through national Programmes such as Ajira, Digital Literacy Programme and PDTP to respond to the future skills demand.
The Acting ICT Authority CEO Dr. Ronoh Kipronoh said that the Authority is implementing strategic national ICT programmes and projects such as the Digital Literacy Programme (DLP) across 24,000 public primary schools, provision of internet and devices, digitization of five (5) Billion government records, automating government services, digital literacy capacity building for 20 million citizens and broadband connectivity to rural areas.
Dr. Ronoh urged the Youth to fully participate in government agenda for a better country and future. The National Youth Chairperson Deborah Bubi asked the Digitalent interns to champion the implementation of government programmes and develop a positive mindset as they serve the country.
In addition The National Youth Council, Roy Sasaka asked the youth participate in the elections of the National Youth Council which will be conducted digitally in due course.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has published a list of 2,421 selected Interns for the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) Cohort 3 – 2020/2021.
The recruit drive that took place in August 2020 saw interviewed done via telephone calls due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
The Interns will be contracted for 12 Months and receive a stipend to be stipulated by the PSC, which is usually around 25,000 for Degree Holders and 15,000 for Diploma Holders.
To see if you made it, check the list via the link below.
PSIP is aimed at inculcating qualities and values whose ultimate goal is to make interns patriotic, upright and honest citizens. Previously, the Commission recruited and placed in MDAs 5,560 interns in two cohorts, with Cohort 1 joining the service in October, 2019, while Cohort 2 joined in January, 2020.
It’s still unclear when the selected Interns will commence their Internship Programme.
Two students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) have won coveted awards in recognition of their outstanding performance in their respective fields of study.
Boaz Chepsergon Komen, an alumnus of JKUAT is the first ever winner of the prestigious Africa Graduate Gold Medal Award by the Africa Association of Quantity Surveyors (AAQS), while Daniel Waruingi, a third year undergraduate student pursuing Pharmacy, bagged the Student of the Year Award during the Antibiotic Guardian Awards 2020.
Boaz Chepsergon Komen, first ever winner of the prestigious Africa Graduate Gold Medal Award by the Africa Association of Quantity Surveyors (AAQS)
Komen emerged winner after topping the nomination process conducted nationally by the Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya (IQSK). He was subsequently recognized for his efforts during the AAQS General Assembly Meeting held in South Africa in October, 2020.
Following an intensive nomination process, Boaz Chepsergon Komen was recognized at the AAQS General Assembly Meeting in October 2020 as the first-ever recipient of this prestigious award. He completed a first class Honours Degree in Quantity Surveying at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in 2019.
Mr Komen has overcome the challenges of being born in humble conditions in Baringo County, and excelled in his early studies, securing admission to the prestigious Alliance High School – he appropriately describes this as a “wonderful opportunity”, using this to gain entry to university in 2016. Throughout his university course, he consistently achieved exceptional results, far in excess of average class marks. However, in addition to academic excellence, nominees for this award are required to demonstrate personal qualities which typically include active involvement in extramural activities, significant contributions to community, a sense of social responsibility, and leadership experience, all of which promise to positively contribute to the quantity surveying profession in their future careers.
The Africa Graduate Gold Medal Award recognizes the efforts of young quantity surveyors in the industry by appreciating their contributions in reshaping the profession. This year was the first time for AAQS to award the graduate category.
The panelists who vetted Komen’s work were impressed by his stellar academic performance and impeccable character going by testimonials supporting his application, notably, his contribution to community service. He has been involved in giving career talks to high school students and participation in tree planting across the country.
“There is need to participate in extra curricula activities, for example, joining professional bodies. I am glad I joined IQSK in my second year of study otherwise, I would not have received this award,” said Komen.
Komen’s leadership record also enhanced his chances of winning, having served as Secretary to the North Rift Evangelistic Team (NORET, JKUAT). He also served as Treasurer to the International Construction Management Students Organization (ICOMSO- JKUAT), a position that enabled him and eight other students from Kenyan universities offering QS to form the Joint Student Council, whose mandate is to create awareness on the professional bodies and bridge the gap between the classroom and the industry.
His employment history also played a role. He is grateful for the fact that he started industrial attachment in first year and after graduating, he was able to secure a job with Efil Enterprises Ltd, Kenya.
Although he graduated with a first-class honors degree in Quantity Survey (QS) from the Department of Construction Management in 2019, this was not the career path he envisioned while a student at Alliance High School. His dream was to become a medical doctor.
Komen won a second award that was presented to him by the IQSK in November 2020. This has enhanced his desire to encourage fellow QS professionals explore new opportunities and collaborate with others to expand transnational relations.
“I would like to join the academia in future and also engage in research so that I can mentor those who wish to pursue this field, he observed”
For now, Boaz is looking forward to form a consultancy once he is registered as a Quantity Surveyor.
Daniel Waruingi, Winner Student of the Year Award during the Antibiotic Guardian Awards 2020.
On the other hand, Waruingi’s win was based on his project titled: Students against Superbugs Africa: empowering students to become lead guardians in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance.
The healthcare student of the year award was given to two joint winners this year, Daniel Kariuki Waruingi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya and Chioma Achi, University of Cambridge.
Together with three other students undertaking the same course, Waruingi realized the need to educate the masses on how bacteria, which cause diseases, develop resistance to drugs (due to various reasons which can be avoided) yet it is becoming a fast-rising global health challenge.
This knowledge gap was identified during the students’ practical sessions at the medical camps where they interacted with many cases of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), arising from improper use of antibiotic drugs. AMR also exists in animals and the environment and subsequently affects human beings.
The team of four, each with different responsibilities, embarked on a nationwide campaign in January 2020 to empower students taking medical courses (referred to as stewards) in various universities, who would then champion this cause in their respective institutions. Currently, there are 40 trained stewards and this has been extended to other universities in Africa.
The team also started educating those in urban informal settlements such as Mathare and Kiandutu slums, areas whereWaruingi says, the situation is in dire need of advocacy against abuse of antibiotic drugs.
“The poverty levels in these areas prompts unqualified persons to sell drugs in Chemists, thereby giving improper advice on usage. Further, the poor hygiene, aggravated by lack of water and poor waste disposal system also contributes to AMR, says Waruingi.
In order to disseminate their message and achieve their goal, the team was trained by ReAct Africa for six months on various aspects and identified community leaders in these settlements.
“In Kiandutu, Thika, we identified a Sheikh and in Mathare. We worked with a teacher who is respected and well known to the community and this helped our campaign. We look forward to welcoming sponsors on board so that we can reach more people. We have been funding this from our resources, Waruingi noted.
The Antibiotic Guardian campaign aims to increase commitment and raise awareness among the public and healthcare professionals about how we can slow the development of resistant bacteria and cut overuse and unnecessary use of antibiotics. Without effective antibiotics many routine treatments will become increasingly dangerous.
The awards also recognise innovation in the field of antimicrobial stewardship at a junior level with the Das Pillay Antimicrobial Stewardship Memorial Award, won by Bee Yean Ng from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, an early career pharmacist.
Under the ‘Student Health of the Year’, the Award seeks to recognize students who have led successful initiatives on Antimicrobial Resistance awareness.
According to Waruingi, winning the award will enhance their credibility and expand their social capital.
UPDATE: The TSC has officially shared details about the Internship Vacancies. Check out the details HERE
Reports have been circulating today regarding the Teachers’ Service Commission recruitment of over 6,000 Interns during the month of December 2020 although the Commission hasn’t yet published the vacancy on their website or share any official communication about the same on their social media pages.
Keeping in mind that the Commission dismissed a similar advert that made rounds last month as fake news, all we can do for now is wait for official publishing or communication from TSC.
We advise teachers and the general public to ignore a fake jobs advert about 12k intern jobs that is circulating on social media. TSC will communicate through its official channels when new jobs arise. pic.twitter.com/BUvZFskFj2
Though just a speculation for now, here is what we know;
As part of the National Government post COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Programme, the Commission plans to recruit qualified candidates to fill 6,674 teacher internship posts, 4,676 posts for Secondary Schools and 1,998 posts Primary Schools.
If confirmed the Internship programme will be for one year supporting efforts by teacher training institutions to equip and sustain the competencies of persons entering teaching service.
The programme will target Kenyan unemployed teachers who are registered with TSC, holder of a P1 Certificate for Primary Schools and a minimum of a Diploma in Education Certificate for Secondary Schools.
Conflicting reports have been published about whether those who were selected for the previous TSC Internship program are eligible to apply with some saying they are not eligible and Kenyans.co.ke reporting that TSC Head of Corporate Communications Betty Wababu revealed that teachers who failed to secure a job in the last requirement drive can still apply.
The monthly stipend will be Kshs. 15,000/= for Primary School Interns and Kshs. 20,000/= for those deployed to Secondary schools.
Keep checking our Career Platform for any official publication of the Internship, if at all it is confirmed by the TSC.
Each time I walked into an interview room, the questions that always linger in my head are what are they looking for? What skills should I market myself with?
Each job seeker out there want the correct answer to each interview question that they might be asked. But importantly everyone wants to know how to market themselves in order to get that job. That is why before any interview people spend hours upon hours looking for the right outfit, the right look, the right posture and even the right answers. That is the reason we go to school, spend money and time to learn, grow and attain a certain level in our craft that we will use to put food on our table and live the life we have always dreamed of.
But before we get to the technical aspect of things. What are the basic soft skills that a prospective employee should have? Hard skills and Technicalities are good. No one will down play technical skill that you might have. But we cannot under estimate the importance of the basic soft skills required for each and every job.
To start us of, we need to understand what soft skills are; these are skills that enable you to fit in at a workplace. They include your personality, attitude, flexibility, motivation, and manners. Soft skills are so important that they are often the reason employers decide whether to keep or promote an employee.
In Swahili there is a saying that goes chema cha jiuza kibaya cha jitembeza(a good thing sells itself, a bad one will go round looking for a buyer!). What do you have that will make you fit right in with the company culture? What are these basics that you as a job seeker should have?
Communication
Most of us are guilty of skipping common lectures in school. And one of the classes that suffer the most is communication skills. Granted, no one can train you to talk. But speaking and putting a message across are two different things. Communication is a key skill. No employer would want an employee who cannot clearly pitch a project let alone express themselves clearly.
We cannot over emphasis the importance of good communication skills. You need to know how to speak, when to speak and how best to convey your message across. Communication is not all about speech, it also has to do with writing and non-verbal. No employer will teach you how to draft an email but will expect you to have already perfected such a skill and will tailor fit it to suit their organization.
Team work
Alone you move quickly but together we move further. Know the value of playing as part of a team. Take chess for example the queen is the most powerful chess piece but at the end of the day only the defeat of the king will result to the end of the game. It does not matter the position you play small or big at the end of the day it is the value you bring together as a team that will result to good profits or losses.
An organization is only as good as its employees, and a team is only as strong as its weakest member.
Resilience
Nothing good comes easy that is what my mother taught me. Your CV will get you through the door. Communication will get you hired but resilience will get you retained and succeed. Once you get your dream job your problems will not magically disappear. Things will only get tougher as you will have to prove day in day out that they made the right decision in hiring you. This will be shown through your determination to push above and beyond. A tough back bone will get you through rough days that you will have to work overtime and meet deadlines in a short period.
Self-management and planning
Learn to be competent on your own without any supervision from anyone. Stay on top of your deadlines and make sure that tasks given to your team members are done. Self-management goes hand in hand with self-drive. Wake up every day knowing the goals you wish to achieve that day. Do not expect things to be handed to you ask for more work if you know you can deliver. Put yourself out there for new projects.
But remember to plan all this work. Self-management without direction is like a ship without a compass. Organize your work and time. Set up a schedule for yourself and have a working but flexible time table to work with.
Soft skills are very important at this time when looking for employment. With each person going out of their way to gain more technical skills it is crucial that put you above the rest of the competition. Your ability to quickly adapt to the new working environment will determine how fast you can put your skills to work. No employer want to spend more than is necessary to train their employer. Learn from past mistakes and improve on what you currently have.
Do not limit yourself to the few mentioned skills. Acquire more that will help you through the sites listed below.
Speculative job application is one of the most proactive way of finding a new job when you need a change or a step up in your career. What do you do when you can’t find a suitable vacancy to apply for after scouring the web for hours? Or when all the vacancies you can apply for, you already did and now it’s a waiting game? Most of us would usually get this urge to apply for more opportunities, so we resort to forwarding our CV to random company emails, or sending Direct Messages to Company’s Social Media inboxes asking for a vacancy. Most are usually like this;
That’s how majority of young professionals send what we call speculative applications. According to Cambridge Dictionary, Speculative Application, or otherwise known as Spontaneous application, is a request for a job sent to an employer, even if no job has been advertised, or the act of sending such requests.
What most of us do in the name of speculative job application or spontaneous application is some sort of mass mailing employers and recruiters asking for a job. No one likes random emails popping up in their inbox with content or information you can’t relate to or didn’t ask for, more so, those asking for a favor in the most mainstream way ever.
So what do you do when you can’t find a suitable vacancy to apply for? Give up? Certainly not! If done well, Speculative job applications can be a more direct route into employment. Unlike the usual “Employer posts job – You Apply” route, Speculative Job Applications are less competitive and if done well, increases your chances of being employed. So how do you do it well? Here’s is an example, or two…
Well done Spontaneous application on LinkedIn that led to a successful hire.
Here’s another one, (one of my best) example I found on the internet…
Speculative Request for Connection Sample
So you might be wondering, How do I get to this level? Here’s how….
Know what you have to offer
This is where it all begins, knowing your strengths, and understand your needs and skills. This will come in handy when deciding if a company is the best fit for you. Remember, it’s not just about getting the job, but getting a job that best suits your skills and career goals. Can you answer these questions…
What are my key skills?
What are my Achievements so far?
What can I add to any new team?
Knowing who you are, your strengths and how you’ll suit a certain role in a company, then being able to communicate that clearly without overselling yourself (Please, never do that!), makes you look confident about yourself..
Do your Research…
Now you know who you are and what you can offer, it’s time to find a company or role that best suits you and where you’ll fit right in and be a much needed addition. Here’s what you should know by the end of your research;
What does the company do?
What are they working on currently?
Who are their competitors?
How are they performing in the market?
What opportunities do you see in their industry that is still untapped?
Who is the best person to contact? Certainly not HR!
All the above except the last will help you decide how you can be valuable to them and vice versa. On who to contact, it’s best to find someone with hiring authority, Department Head maybe, or the Company Director. These are the people who know the company goals, direction and it’s needs. Exploit that. Where to find them? LinkedIn for starters, then go on to Google, I’m sure you know how to use those.
Writing & Submitting your spontaneous application…
When writing your Application, center it around your strengths and career goals, and how the company requirements in that role suits you. And here is the trick, or the tricky part, show how, don’t tell. Yes, you are ambitious, but just how ambitious? Give an example. Sell yourself, make them want to meet you today!
Now you’ve drafted your application, it’s time to decide how better to deliver it. Here’s the thing about Speculative Applications, they don’t have to be official, just right! If the best person to contact is usually more active on Twitter, why not DM them? Find a mode of delivery that increases your chances of getting a reply and send.
This might look like too much work but it just never goes wrong. According to Oliver Tambo, an HR Expert,
When messaging a #recruiter on #LinkedIn, it’s important to be #concise and to the point. Recruiters typically receive several messages in a day and at times find it tough engaging in a back and forth chat before arriving at the point ??. Always meet opportunity with an advantage
Every once in a while, A Kenyan on Twitter, usually a recent graduate or a young professional will serve the timeline some chilling thread about their career struggles. A while ago, @nzots served us this thread.
Yesterday, it was @wyregi_‘s turn, and just like @nzots thread, thousands related to it… Here’s how @wyregi_, a fresh Engineering Graduate from THE UoN, went from an internship, a paying job to packaging bottletops worth for 6 millions in just a day for a pay of 30,000 for 13 hours shift. (some days 18hrs).
Having spent 6 years in UoN studying engineering and graduating late 2019, I thought 2020 was the year ya kuomoka till Rona happened. I’ll do a thread of my experience in job hunting in 2020 and how I ended up kwa Mhindi packing bottle tops 14hours a night…
January 2020 After graduating in Sep2019 and landing an internship immediately things were going very well. In Jan 2020 everything seemed promising, it was the year I was going to land that dream job. Opportunities were in plenty Total, Schneider, EABL, Baker Hughes all had…
graduate programs and not forgetting other entry level engineering jobs and internships. I landed two interviews in the first week of January. One was at Kapa Oil for an internship position. This is the first Mhindi company I have ever come across. The interview was great…
The offer was a 6-month internship, no pay, had to pay for my own lunch in the vegan canteen, I took it. After two days there, I got a real job offer in a bakery till Rona hit and I lost the job after 6 months, had to start tarmacking again…This is where my nightmare started…
0n 29th June, UoN Career Services posted a job advert and it was forwarded on WhatsApp.. They wanted Mechanical and Engineering graduates and I knew this is it I mean UoN career services gotta be legit.
This was the job description… The company is called Metal Crowns Ltd…the job looked good on paper, it’s operation of automatic machines.
I didn’t waste any time so I sent my CV to UoN career services and they confirmed. All I had to do now is wait.
On 30th June that was the last day on my old job, I got a call from the company’s HR, a very nice and calm man, he invited me for an interview. I was lucky I mean I haven’t even spent time tarmacking. I was very excited.
The following week, I went for the interview. They gave me an aptitude test, easy basic Engineering maths and some stuff about compressed air and how to read a vernier caliper… I did well and at the end they informed they will give me the job but I had to show them…
my previous job’s contract. This was a big red flag but I told them they have to match the terms of my previous contract and they said okay. They said they will call back after a few days so I went home.
After about two weeks a lady calls and said she was from a company called People Link a consultancy company that the HR gave them my number I am supposed to go with my certificates at Corner Hse in town and sign some papers.
I was confused because in the interview they didn’t mention anything about subcontracting me. I went anyway to see what they were offering and see if they matched what we discussed during the interview. When I got they gave me some papers to sign and fill my details.
What these consultancy companies do is that you register with them, pay some registration fee. They have some clients i.e. companies that hire them to provide labour. When an opportunity comes up they get you an interview and if you get a job you pay them a…
% of your first full monthly salary. In this situation I hadn’t even heard of PeopleLink and wasn’t even their registered member. The company didn’t want to hire me directly so they used them (it’s easier to get rid of subcontracted workers) to hire me. First I had to fill a…
registration form and then before I had finished gave me a contract agreement to sign that I would give up my first full month salary. I asked why they showed me the service charge sheet which I felt it was robbery since they played no part in getting me the job.
After all that, I signed the agreement and I started asking about the terms of the job. First it was the working hours, the job was a shift job 12 hours day shift and 13 hours nightshift. During shift changes (switching working from night to day), you have to work 18 fucking hrs
The second thing was the salary, they said I can’t get what we agreed with HR I have to settle with 30k and in this 30k they deduct lunch and supper they offer in the company( which is terrible tbh). For me money wasn’t the biggest of priorities so I didn’t complain too much.
Another thing was lateness, I was to join the night shift and I was supposed to report at 6pm. If anything happened and I was late for 30 minutes I have to go back home and no pay for that day.
They didn’t offer any transport or any additional allowances. For those who know the Likoni Rd-Lunga-Lunga Rd route, the only available matatus are the old Outreach Sacco (Idk how those things still work) in Muthurwa.
So if you’re coming from the other side of town, you have to walk to catch a matatu at Muthurwa every single day to and from. This means if you live a lil bit far you have to add 4 hours of commute to your working hours. This means the job is taking between 17-19hours of your day
After getting all this information I still took the job, I was to start on the night of August 5th. The reporting time was 6pm so I left home at 4pm and arrived a few minutes to 6pm. They did the security checks and linked me to the team leader of the shift.
The guy gave me an overall and told me “I hope huogopi kazi”. No orientations, no introductions the guy took me to the machines.. They produce metal crowns/glass bottle tops for soft drinks and beer. He gave me some other guy who showing me how the job is done.
The guy demonstrated for 5 minutes. The job was first forming the cartons in to a box, then fitting a polythene bag on the box, fill up the box with the metal crowns, shake the box for the crowns to settle, you seal the box, label the box, put it in a pallet, stack up the pallet
up to 5 stacks… drag the pallet to the storage, come back with another pallet and start the same cycle… The first 30 mins I was already sweating but I thought probably after some time I was informed I had to keep doing it till my shift was over… By 9pm I was so exhausted
At 10pm, a “supper” break came to my rescue, it was for 10minutes but I got time to talk to the other guys. I asked them how they manage to do that job every day. Most of them had joined like three weeks earlier and they don’t have an option they have to do it for their families
The “supper” was 2chapos na ndengu, very shitty food, which was tobe deducted from your salary. As I was talking to the guys, they told me that day was a slow day. There’s a day they worked 18 fucking hours a night. You clock in at 6pm & leave next day at 12noon. That’s madness
That supper break was the only break, for the rest of the night you’re expected to work till your shift ends. By midnight, my legs and hands were shaking, my back couldn’t hold anymore but I had to keep going. The speed of the machine was crazy….
So I started tracking how much working I was doing just to distract myself. One box of the metal crowns was 10,000 pieces and by midnight I had done 60 cartons. That’s 600, 000 crowns. The price of metal crowns i.e wholesale is 0.01$-0.04$ (Source: Alibaba)
In kenya shillings that’s 5 bob per piece, which means in 7 hours the cost of all of that was fucking 2.6m. By the end of the night I did 1.2m pieces which translates to almost 6 million Kenyan shillings. The guy next to me did 2.6million pieces which is roughly 11m Ksh
With 4 lines of Fabrication you can only imagine the amount of money those guys are making. These “small” companies in Industrial Area make lots of money but the working conditions there are horrible. They don’t care at all about their workers. I don’t understand how someone…
is expected to work 14 hours a night with one 10 min break for 6 days a week and when the demand is too high the off-day is deferred to a later day. And to switch from night shift, you have to work 18 hours with no compensation.
I don’t have a problem with the salary but doing that kind of work for 14 hours needs superhero powers not someone who was used to mandazi for lunch and chapo ndengu in UoN.
How can a company take 18/24 hours of your time.. means you have 6 hours personal time and you haven’t even slept. and to think of the money they’re making, it’s just inhumane. I don’t even know that’s legal.
Anyway, I clocked out at 7.08 am. I was feeling sick so on my way I was checking the job description and I realized they said they required someone with “physical stamina and strength”, which clearly I wasn’t. I was never going back to that place.
I slept the whole way kwa matatu, I actually felt I needed an ambulance tbh. I arrived at home around 9am. I took breakfast and slept for two days😭😭😭 Today 5 days later, I am still recovering.
I wonder how many people in Industrial Area work under these conditions and probably worse. I am lucky I don’t have a family so I can survive till the next opportunity comes up. That’s high-key modern day slavery if you ask me.
Their bargaining power is that so many people don’t have jobs so when you go to the interview they will utilise that to get you signing up to really bad terms cause you don’t have another option. I am sure they have already replaced me with someone else and the cycle continues.
I feel for every young Kenyan man, it’s crazy out here. For everyone looking for a job or in a bad one, sending some love ❤️ Hang in there, we hope for better days.
The END
And as with any other thread, comments, opinions and reactions started streaming in… Here are a few
Read the below thread and you will understand why Atwol is a billionaire. He receives hundreds of millions to ensure slum dwellers trek to Industrial Area and work for peanuts. His home is a hotel where he receives bribes and political delegations. He got his deputy murdered! https://t.co/VMWMfgTOme
Thank you for sharing. These are the neo liberal effects of labour market liberalization that decouples labour from capital – borderline slavery. Sad that #COTU and it's leadership is now a mockery of the very issues it was to serve, including addressing issues such as this.
Last week, I wrote about my journey in mastering rejection, which if you have not read can be found here. The ultimate test for this came in April, I had been job hunting for around 6 months in between getting some consultancy opportunities. During the months of March and April, I allocated more time to my job hunt; I revamped my resume and profile. I was sure this was the kick that would secure me a job and I knew exactly what I wanted in my next job; a good work environment, doing work I love, health benefits, a mentor for a line manager, pension, career growth, travel perks and a long term contract. It is good to dream big because sometimes the universe will listen.
One morning, I saw a job post by the Open Society of East Africa that was crafted for me, I literally read it and I saw myself in that position. I prepared my resume and cover letter and sent in my application on 12th April 2019.
On 15th April 2019, I received a call from Open Institute asking me to come in for a job interview on 23rd April 2019.
The week before my interview, I dedicated it to prepare for my interview. On 23rd April 2019, I was ready to impress my interviewers. I made sure I was there before time, I scoped the office and the personnel and thought; “ Wow! The OSIEA office seems understaffed.”
I was asked to wait outside until I was called, I was there with a fellow interviewee, we exchanged pleasantries and I waited for my turn on the hot seat. Finally, after what felt like ages, I was called into the interview room. I was in the hot seat being evaluated by a three-panel interview team. The butterflies in my stomach turned into moths, and my hands were shaking. Luckily, the interview panel was very considerate and eased my anxiety and offered me some water.
It was go time! My 30 minutes to shine, sell myself and my skills.
The interview started with the usual questions, tell us about yourself …blah! Blah! Blah! Then the big question came; tell us about the organisation and I went in on everything and had read about the organisation. Once I was done the interviewer asked me to name of their organisation.
I started off “ The Open Society….” one of the interviewers stopped me and said “ The what?” and I repeated “ The Open Society…” and he told me that this was Open Institute. In my head, I was like — “Sir, why are you confusing your organisation’s name?” But he wasn’t confused it was I that was confused.
The interview continued — I now had to somehow re-craft my answers, even though I had already made a fool of myself. I finished the interview, thanked my interviewers and left. As I was walking out of the office complex my mind started racing…
“ Where did this organisation get my resume?”
“ Had someone referred me for the position and I had forgotten?”
“ When did I apply for the job?”
My thoughts were cut short mid-walk, by a phone call from the Open Institute, they asked me to return because there were some questions I had not answered. These questions were not unique to any interview I had ever been to, they asked me: whether I could cook or wash a car? In my head, I started thinking maybe now they want me to be an office administrator. Finally, the second unexpected interview was over.
I met up with my mum and aunties and told them about my big blunder at my job interview. They had a good laugh and but as the staunch Christian women they are, they had hope that I could get the job, I just shrugged it off, because who in the world would hire someone who mixes up their organisation for another one.
Now that I had the names of my interviewers, I decided to stalk their profiles on twitter, and alas I saw a tweet about my interview as seen below, I had fully expected it.
Screenshot of the founder’s tweet
I wrote back to the founder of the organisation, thanking him for the opportunity.
I counted my losses gracefully and gave myself hope that at least I had a dry run of an interview process and I knew what not to do. Honestly, I was so proud of myself because old Ivy would have beaten up herself.
On 26th April 2019, I got an unexpected call from Open Institute, they had given me the job. I was in utter complete shock.
Screenshot of my job acceptance offer
When I reflect back all the signs to let me know that the job interview was not with OSIEA were there, however, I ignored all of them:
The first sign was that OSIEA must have really wanted to fill the position because their deadline for the job post was for 22nd April 2019.
The job post for OSIEA was Programme Assistant but for Open Institute was Programme Officer. Which is clearly noted in the email.
The location for the OSIEA offices was Lenana Road and Open Institute was Stare House Road. Having worked in the civil society space, I figured they must have moved offices and not updated their website for security reasons.
So job seekers, do not be me, instead:
Make sure you know the name of the organisation you are applying to
Read about what the organisation does.
Be confident in selling your skills
Be real, passionate and open to learning, which my current line manager told me is what got me through the interview.
And keep track of all the organisations that you have sent in applications.
…….Wishing you success in your job hunt.
And thank you to Open Institute for taking a chance on me.
Following the Assembly advertisement for the positions of internship on 12th March 2020, we are pleased to invite the shortlisted candidates for interviews on Thursday 28th May 2020 Starting at 9.00 AM at the County Assembly Boardroom.
All shortlisted candidates are required to bring the following documents:
a) Original academic and professional certificates b) Original National Identity card or passport c) Other relevant original supporting documents and testimonials
The Central Bank of Kenya on Tuesday, 14th April 2020 shared the details on the new Publication of the Credit Reference Bureau Regulations, 2020 and Additional Measures on Credit Information Sharing. The new regulations which are already in operation replaces the Credit Reference Bureau Regulations, 2013.
The New Regulations which came into effect on the 8th of April 2020 scrapped the 2,000 KES fee required for first time applicants in need of a CRB Clearance certificate. “This is particularly beneficial to Kenyan youth and graduates who are seeking employment,” read part of the press release by the Central Bank of Kenya.
In the new regulations, persons with loans of less than 1,000 or from unregulated digital (mobile-based) and credit-only lenders will no longer be blacklisted by the CRB. This is after data from CRB showed that, out of the 3.5 million Persons negatively listed on the CRB, 500,000 had a loan of less than Kshs. 200. This comes as a reprieve for most young people in Kenya who have been on the receiving end of Shylock-like lendors who used every dirty trick on their books to coerce borrowers to pay back the loans offered.
You can read the complete Press Release by CBK below.
PRESS RELEASE PUBLICATION OF THE CREDIT REFERENCE BUREAU REGULATIONS, 2020 AND ADDITIONAL MEASURES ON CREDIT INFORMATION SHARING
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announces the publication by Gazette Notice No. 55 of April 8, 2020, of the Credit Reference Bureau Regulations, 2020 (CRB Regulations). These CRB Regulations were issued pursuant to Section 31 (3) of the Banking Act and replace the Credit Reference Bureau Regulations, 2013. The CRB Regulations provide for the licensing and supervision of Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs) by CBK. Importantly, they also provide a framework for the exchange of borrowers’ credit information between commercial banks, microfinance banks, Savings and Credit Societies (SACCOs), other credit information providers approved by CBK, and CRBs. They are now operational.
The revised CRB Regulations have been developed through a consultative process that started in 2018, and are intended to strengthen Kenya’s Credit Information Sharing System (CIS) that has been operational since 2010. In particular, they seek to enhance consumer protection for borrowers, expand the sources of information and ensure the sustainability of the CIS as a key tool to bridge the information gap about the borrower’s creditworthiness.
The key reforms introduced by these CRB Regulations include:
1. A minimum threshold of Ksh. 1,000 has now been set for negative credit information that is submitted to CRBs by lenders. Borrower’s information regarding non-performing loans of less than Ksh.1,000 will therefore not be submitted to CRBs, and borrowers that were previously “blacklisted” only for amounts less than Ksh.1,000 will be “delisted.”
2. First-time CRB clearance certificates will be provided by CRBs at no charge. This is particularly beneficial to Kenyan youth and graduates who are seeking employment.
3. SACCO societies regulated by the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) have now been included as authorized subscribers of credit data to CRBs. These SACCOs will now submit borrowers’ information to CRBs and also receive credit reports directly from them.
In addition to publishing these CRB Regulations, the following additional measures have been implemented:
With immediate effect, CBK has withdrawn the approvals granted to unregulated digital (mobile-based) and credit-only lenders as third party credit information providers to CRBs. The withdrawal is in response to numerous public complaints over misuse of the CIS by the unregulated digital and credit-only lenders, and particularly their poor responsiveness to customer complaints. Thus, unregulated digital and credit-only lenders will no longer submit credit information on their borrowers to CRBs.
On the recommendation of CBK, the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning has published by Gazette Notice No. 3096 of April 8, 2020, the suspension for a period of six months, the listing of negative credit information for borrowers whose loans were performing previously but have become non-performing from April l, 2020. Consequently, loans that fall in arrears from April I to September 30, 2020, will not lead to the “blacklisting” of the borrower on the CRBs. This is one of the emergency measures that were announced on March 25, 2020, in light of the exceptional circumstances from the Coronavirus pandemic and aiming to shield borrowers from the adverse impact.
CBK will continue working with all stakeholders to ensure that the CIS mechanism works for and with Kenyans, and in line with best global practices.
