The Government plans to expand the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) from the current 8,000 positions to 50,000 in January 2027, in a move aimed at creating more opportunities for young professionals entering the job market.

Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairperson Francis Meja announced the plan in Mombasa while officially opening a two-day capacity-building forum for state corporations and public universities at the Kenya School of Government (KSG).

Meja urged chief executive officers of state corporations and leaders of public universities to identify and declare available vacancies to support the planned expansion.

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He also called on officers in the institutions to provide proper mentorship to interns, saying the programme was intended to equip young professionals with practical workplace experience and prepare them for employment.

The PSC chairperson raised concerns over how some interns had been treated during previous intakes, citing incidents in which they were assigned duties as office messengers instead of being given opportunities to develop professional skills.

“The purpose of this programme is to prepare these young people for the job market. They are professionals in their own right, and reducing them to messengers is really missing the bigger point. Kindly help us address that; we have noted it as a major challenge,” Meja said.

He emphasised that participating institutions should ensure interns are exposed to meaningful responsibilities and receive guidance that strengthens their professional development.

Meja added that the Commission would formally communicate with state agencies and ministries, requesting reports on available vacancies and staffing needs to facilitate the planned increase in internship placements from next year.

The proposed expansion would raise the programme's capacity from 8,000 to 50,000 interns, although the final placements will depend on the vacancies and staffing requirements identified by the participating institutions.

The PSC's appeal places responsibility on state corporations, public universities, ministries and other government agencies to identify suitable opportunities and provide an environment in which interns can gain relevant work experience.