Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to creating more and better jobs while ensuring public resources are used efficiently to deliver tangible results for Kenyans. 
By Fredrick Kioko,
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to creating more and better jobs while ensuring public resources are used efficiently to deliver tangible results for Kenyans.
Speaking in Nairobi during a high-level dialogue on “Delivering Results for More and Better Jobs in a Changing Development Landscape,” Mbadi said Kenya created approximately 822,000 new jobs in 2025, an increase from the 782,000 jobs recorded in 2024.
However, the CS noted that 87.2 per cent of the jobs created in 2025 were in the informal sector, highlighting the need for the Government to focus not only on the number of jobs created but also on their quality, productivity and sustainability.
Mbadi said the Government is pursuing a multi-pronged approach to expand employment opportunities, particularly for young people, while supporting businesses and improving the efficiency of public spending.
Over the medium term, the Government is targeting the placement of 570,000 job seekers in local and international employment, alongside the certification of 310,000 workers and technical training for 90,000 young people.
Through the NYOTA Project, nearly 200,000 young people have already been reached across all 47 counties, according to the CS.
Mbadi said the Government is also working to strengthen businesses and value chains through initiatives such as the Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) Project and AGRIConnect.
The programmes seek to improve access to finance, strengthen markets and modernise value chains, enabling micro, small and medium enterprises to formalise, expand and create more sustainable employment opportunities.
The Treasury CS said fiscal consolidation should not simply be viewed as a reduction in Government expenditure, but as a strategy to ensure that every shilling spent delivers greater value to Kenyans.
He said the National Treasury is strengthening the connection between planning, budgeting and real-time data to improve accountability and maximise the impact of public expenditure.
Mbadi further emphasised the importance of stronger partnerships between Government, development partners and the private sector to mobilise investment, expand economic opportunities and build sustainable national capacity.
The dialogue brought together senior Government officials, development partners, private-sector representatives and international experts.
Among those who addressed the meeting were Ndiame Diop, World Bank Group Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa; Professor Eldar Shafir of Princeton University; Ahmed Abisalan Ibrahim, Principal Secretary for National Government Coordination in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary; Carole Kariuki, CEO of KEPSA; Lisandro Martin, Director of the World Bank Group’s Outcomes Department; Armand Nzeyimana, Director of the Development Impact and Results Department at the African Development Bank; and Qimiao Fan, World Bank Group Division Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda.
The discussions focused on how Kenya can accelerate the creation of productive and sustainable employment while improving the effectiveness of public investment amid a changing development landscape.
