President Ruto’s farm takes 10‑15 graduates for paid agricultural internships

President William Ruto announced that his commercial farms host between 10 and 15 university graduates as paid interns, with stipends and hands‑on training, and urged a six‑to‑twelve‑month national internship framework.

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President William Ruto told attendees at the Industrialisation Summit and Changamka Festival in Nairobi that his commercial farm currently accepts ten to fifteen university graduates as interns, providing them with stipends and practical exposure to commercial agriculture.

The president highlighted that the interns receive a regular stipend, distinguishing the scheme from unpaid placements that have drawn criticism elsewhere.

Ruto proposed that internship programmes across Kenya should run for six months to one year, allowing graduates to apply academic knowledge while giving employers time to assess and potentially retain talent.

He did not specify which of his farms hosts the interns, the exact duration of the current placements, the tasks assigned, or the selection criteria.

Ruto’s agribusiness portfolio spans thousands of acres, including Yegen Farm in Sugoi, Uasin Gishu, which rears around 200,000 chickens and produces roughly 150,000 eggs daily, and Koilel Farm, a 430‑acre mixed‑crop operation.

The internship initiative aligns with a broader government push to expand youth employment, such as the Public Service Internship Programme slated to increase from 8,000 to 50,000 positions in January 2027.

The administration has also floated a mandatory one‑year internship scheme for graduates, with tax incentives planned for participating private‑sector firms.