The Kenyan government has launched a new online jobs portal, Ajira Digital, via the ICT ministry to help skilled workers source jobs locally and abroad.

The portal focuses on several fields including transcribing, web design and software, among others.

Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary for ICT, said that over 40,000 Kenyans subscribe to existing platforms like Upwork, which makes the country the 10th biggest global supplier of online workers and the second biggest in Africa.

The Ajira portal aims to increase this number to one million.

"After extensive sensitisation and training among the youth countrywide, it is projected that over one million youth in the country will be working online by the end of next year," Mucheru said.

He added that the government's plan to connect counties to free WiFi will widen access to the Net and benefit the portal.

Authorities will also train over 350 youngsters from all 47 counties to conduct sensitisation drives and encourage participation.

There have been attempts to push outsourcing work from the continent, but still it is not at a massive scale to compete with the Far East and Asia.

Ajira Digital has joined the ranks of TukoWorks and Kuhustle, established to create employment opportunities.