Major Skills Programme Targets 1,500 Disabled Youth in Kenya's Second-Largest County
Lodwar, 17 April 2026
A groundbreaking three-year initiative launched in Turkana County will provide vocational training and digital skills to 1,500 young people with disabilities, with 80% of opportunities reserved for women. The programme represents a significant shift for humanitarian organisations, extending beyond refugee camps to benefit local communities in Kenya’s vast northwestern region.
Consortium Partnership Drives Inclusive Employment Initiative
The ‘Unlocking Opportunities Program’ launched on 16 April 2026 brings together Humanity & Inclusion and the Mastercard Foundation in a strategic partnership designed to tackle employment barriers for disabled youth [1]. The initiative will be implemented through a consortium of three specialist organisations: inABLE, Next Step Foundation, and Riziki Source, each contributing expertise in disability inclusion and skills development [1]. Humanity & Inclusion Country Manager Margaret Nguhi announced the programme during a courtesy call to Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus, marking a significant expansion of the organisation’s traditional humanitarian focus [1].
Gender-Focused Approach to Skills Development
The programme specifically targets participants aged between 18 and 40 years, with a deliberately skewed gender allocation that reserves 80 per cent of opportunities for young women and 20 per cent for men [1]. This gender-focused approach reflects broader recognition of the compounded disadvantages faced by disabled women in accessing employment opportunities across Kenya [GPT]. The initiative encompasses four core focus areas: skilling for work, inclusive entrepreneurship, enhancing inclusion and voice, and strengthening the ecosystem to support long-term employment outcomes [1].
Expanding Beyond Traditional Humanitarian Boundaries
The programme represents a notable strategic shift for Humanity & Inclusion, which has traditionally concentrated its efforts within refugee and humanitarian settings [1]. ‘This time, we are happy to have a program that will go beyond the camp to benefit youths with disabilities outside the refugee setting,’ Nguhi explained during the programme launch [1]. The initiative will operate across Turkana County, Kenya’s second-largest county spanning 77,000 square kilometres, which hosts both the Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps alongside substantial local populations [1][GPT].
County Government Commitment to Social Protection
Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus welcomed the programme as both progressive and necessary, emphasising Turkana County’s existing commitment to inclusive social protection frameworks [1]. ‘As a county, we are keen to ensure all partners in social protection participate in eliminating or reducing protection risks,’ Erus stated, highlighting the county’s proactive stance on disability inclusion [1]. The county government has already established foundations for ensuring persons requiring social protection are integrated into planning, budgeting, and execution processes, providing a supportive environment for the new initiative [1]. Deputy County Secretary Joseph Nyanga and Humanity & Inclusion Turkana Area Manager David Omondi attended the launch, demonstrating broad institutional support for the programme [1].