Huawei Graduates 200 Youth in Wajir, Boosting Digital Skills in Marginalised Regions

Huawei Graduates 200 Youth in Wajir, Boosting Digital Skills in Marginalised Regions

From left: Aden Daudi, Member of Parliament for Wajir East, Najma Adow Abdi, a Huawei DigiTruck trainee and Ummi Bashir, Principal Secretary for Culture, the Arts and Heritage, at the Huawei DigiTruck graduation ceremony in Wajir East on Friday, February 20, 2026, an initiative aimed at equipping youth in underserved regions with digital skills for employment and entrepreneurship

By Jeff Oyugi 

Nairobi - February 21, 2026

Hundreds of young people in northeastern Kenya are poised to enter the digital economy after completing a hands on technology training programme designed to bridge long standing gaps in access to skills and opportunity.

A total of 200 youth graduated from the flagship DigiTruck initiative run by Huawei Kenya at a ceremony held at the ICT Hall in Wajir East, marking a significant expansion of digital inclusion efforts in historically underserved regions.

The event brought together national and local leaders, including Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir, area Member of Parliament Aden Daudi, and senior national government administrators from Wajir County.

Officials described the graduation as more than a ceremonial milestone, framing it as a strategic investment in human capital at a time when digital skills are increasingly seen as a prerequisite for economic participation.

Speaking during the ceremony, Bashir said the six week programme equips participants not only with technical abilities but also with pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.

“The skills you have acquired are not just training outcomes. They are economic opportunities,” she said. “In a world increasingly shaped by technology and social media, digital competence determines who participates in the economy and who is left behind. These young people now have the tools to earn a living, secure employment or create opportunities for others.”

The DigiTruck programme is implemented in partnership with government agencies including the Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy and the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, reflecting a broader national push to expand digital literacy across the country.

Participants receive training in core competencies such as computer basics, online safety, digital productivity tools, entrepreneurship, and data privacy, skills considered essential for navigating modern workplaces and online environments.

Local leaders said the initiative is particularly transformative for communities where access to computers, reliable internet connectivity, and formal ICT education has historically been limited.

Daudi praised the trainees’ dedication and emphasized the programme’s role in dismantling structural barriers to opportunity.

“The commitment shown by these young people demonstrates the value of investing time in digital skills,” he said. “For many in this region, opportunities were previously restricted by lack of access to technology. Digital literacy is no longer optional. It is foundational to empowerment, economic inclusion and future prosperity.”

Beneficiaries themselves echoed these sentiments, describing the training as life changing. One graduate said learning to use a computer for the first time had dramatically expanded their prospects.

“In just days, I learned how to operate a computer and gained skills that I never had access to before,” the graduate said. “Before this training, relying only on a mobile phone limited what I could do. Now I can apply for scholarships, search for jobs online and access opportunities that once felt impossible.”

At the heart of the initiative is the DigiTruck itself, a solar powered mobile classroom housed inside a customized shipping container. Equipped with computers, internet connectivity and training facilities, the truck travels to remote areas, delivering free digital education directly to communities that might otherwise be excluded from the digital revolution.

Huawei officials say the model is designed to ensure inclusivity by overcoming infrastructure challenges such as lack of electricity or permanent training centres.

Yuta Leng, Director of Public Affairs at Huawei Kenya, said the programme demonstrates how public private partnerships can accelerate national development goals.

“Huawei is pleased to partner with the Government of Kenya to train young people in ICT skills, data privacy and data protection,” Leng said. “Through DigiTruck, we are helping ensure that every community, regardless of location, has the capacity to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.”

The Wajir East cohort represents a significant expansion of the initiative’s national footprint. With this latest graduation, Wajir becomes the 40th county reached by the programme, bringing the total number of young Kenyans trained to approximately 9,000.

Officials say the long term objective is nationwide coverage, aligning with Kenya’s broader digital transformation agenda, which seeks to expand connectivity, support innovation, and create technology driven employment opportunities.

Experts note that youth unemployment remains a major challenge in Kenya, particularly in arid and semi arid regions. Programmes like DigiTruck are increasingly viewed as practical interventions that can equip young people with marketable skills without requiring relocation to major urban centres.

Inside the Huawei DigiTruck, a mobile classroom equipped with computers with high speed internet designed to deliver digital skills to underserved communities across Kenya

Community leaders expressed optimism that the newly trained graduates will serve as digital ambassadors, helping spread knowledge within their communities and stimulating local entrepreneurship.

Some participants are expected to pursue online work, digital services, small business ventures, or further ICT education, while others may leverage their skills to improve productivity in traditional sectors such as trade, agriculture, and public service.

As the ceremony concluded, graduates received certificates amid celebrations from families and community members, a symbolic moment that underscored both personal achievement and collective hope for economic transformation.

With plans to continue rolling out the solar powered classrooms across the country, organisers say the initiative aims to ensure that geography and infrastructure limitations no longer determine who can access the opportunities of the digital age.

For many in Wajir East, the arrival of the DigiTruck represents not just a training programme, but a gateway to participation in a rapidly evolving global economy and a sign that even the most remote communities can stake a claim in Kenya’s digital future.