Two hundred residents of Ijara Constituency in Garissa County received digital skills certificates on Friday as Huawei’s DigiTruck programme concluded its latest training cycle, bringing mobile classrooms and hands-on technology education to one of Kenya’s more remote corners.
The graduation ceremony, held at Baraza Park in Masalani, drew national and county leaders including Hon. John Kiarie, Chair of the National Assembly Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation, alongside local Members of Parliament and county officials.
Garissa becomes the third county in the North Eastern region to host the initiative, following rollouts in Wajir earlier this year and Mandera in 2021.
The DigiTruck itself — a solar-powered, fully equipped mobile classroom — is central to the programme’s reach. Rather than requiring learners to travel to urban training centres, the truck moves the classroom to the community. Participants receive training in digital literacy, online safety, entrepreneurship, and the practical use of digital tools.
Programme organisers say the model is particularly significant in addressing Kenya’s persistent gender divide in digital access. Nationally, only 35 percent of women use mobile internet compared to 50 percent of men. For every 100 young men with measurable digital skills, just 65 young women have comparable competencies.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hon. Kiarie framed digital skills as no longer a luxury but an economic necessity. He challenged graduates to put their training to work — building businesses, creating jobs, and solving local problems through technology.
Jessy Kiveu Maruti, CEO of the ICT Authority, also addressed the gathering, commending the multi-stakeholder approach that underpins the initiative and linking it directly to the government’s broader vision of a digitally empowered Kenya.
Since its launch, the DigiTruck programme has trained nearly 10,500 people — among them youth, women, teachers, and small business owners — across 42 of Kenya’s 47 counties. The training is offered free of charge.
Graduates at Friday’s ceremony spoke of tangible shifts: greater confidence navigating digital platforms, new pathways into online work, and a clearer sense of how technology could support their livelihoods and access to services.
Huawei says it intends to continue expanding the programme nationwide, with the goal of ensuring that geographic remoteness is no longer a barrier to participation in Kenya’s digital economy.
Source : africabusinesscommunities.com
