President William Ruto accompanied by his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday January 16, visited government Jitume labs in Nandi County.
During the visit, President Ruto interacted with some of the youth who were working online and earning big from Remotask, a site that pays visitors to complete data entry tasks.
Ruto expressed admiration for a student who is making a living online through the government’s Jitume ICT Laboratories.
In a video that circulated on social media, the President is seen to be wowed by Brian’s achievement in online working.
Brian Kipchumba is a student undertaking Diploma in ICT and is working part-time in online jobs.
“I want to show you my success through the digital platforms and I am still in school,” said Kipchumba.
Kipchumba said he earned 284 dollars since December 26, 2023 which is close to Ksh45,724 but gets Ksh40,000 after taxation.
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Kipchumba explained that each online user of the website is usually given time for specific tasks, before getting paid for the work done.
At the same time, President Ruto encouraged him to persuade other Kenyans to embrace job opportunities in the digital space.
“I can tell them that online pays and you can come at Jitume labs with free internet connection and you are able to work online.”
Reactions from citizens
However, the video that has gone viral on social media has received mixed reactions from citizens.
For instance, some Kenyans criticized Kipchumba, claiming that he had exposed students to scrutiny, at a time when President Ruto is advocating for increase in taxes.
However, others felt Kipchumba should have reached out to the President concerning challenges affecting the youth.
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