Ruto’s scorecard: Breakdown of over 2.5 million jobs added to economy since 2022

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NAIROBI, Kenya- Four years into President William Ruto’s administration, Kenya’s employment numbers have grown, but most of the jobs added to the economy have been in the informal sector.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that about 3.27 million jobs were added between 2022 and 2025. Of these, roughly 2.84 million were created in the informal sector, accounting for about 87% of the total.

The figures provide an important measure of the government’s jobs record as Ruto approaches the final year of his first term.

In 2022, Kenya recorded 816,600 new jobs, although the figure largely reflects the period before Ruto assumed office in September. Informal employment accounted for 702,900 of those jobs, compared with 113,700 in the modern sector.

The following year saw 848,200 jobs added, with 720,900 coming from the informal sector and 122,800 from the modern economy.

In 2024, total employment increased by 782,300 jobs. About 703,700 were informal-sector positions, representing nearly nine out of every 10 jobs created that year.

The economy added another 822,100 jobs in 2025, according to the Economic Survey 2026. The informal sector accounted for 716,800 of these, while approximately 105,300 jobs were created in the modern sector.

Informal sector dominates

The employment figures highlight the continuing dominance of informal work in Kenya’s labour market.

KNBS data shows that total employment, excluding small-scale agriculture, increased from about 20.8 million people in 2024 to 21.6 million in 2025.

Informal-sector employment reached approximately 18.1 million, while wage employment increased from about 3.21 million to 3.32 million over the same period.

The numbers raise questions about the quality and stability of the jobs being created, particularly for young Kenyans seeking formal employment with predictable incomes and benefits.

The government, however, has pointed to several programmes that it says have generated employment opportunities since Ruto took office.

Affordable housing programme

The Affordable Housing Programme has been one of the administration’s flagship initiatives.

Ruto said in January 2026 that more than 500,000 Kenyans were working under the housing programme, describing the initiative as an important source of employment.

That figure has risen from the 200,000 direct jobs the President reported in December 2024.

Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga subsequently said in February 2026 that government figures showed more than 428,000 people directly employed full-time at construction sites.

He also put the number of people involved in supplying materials and services to the projects at about one million.

By February, more than 262,000 housing units were reportedly under development in 111 constituencies across the 47 counties.

The government has set a target of constructing 200,000 affordable homes annually.

Government cites wider employment gains

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has presented a significantly higher figure for jobs and employment opportunities created under the Ruto administration.

Speaking during the 2026 Labour Day celebrations, Mutua said more than 6.2 million jobs and employment opportunities had been created since Ruto came to power.

His figure included employment in government and education, as well as opportunities generated through programmes such as the Affordable Housing Programme and Kazi Mtaani.

Mutua said the public service employed about 1.895 million people, while more than 128,000 teachers had been employed and county governments had added nearly 60,000 workers.

He also attributed 640,442 jobs to the Affordable Housing Programme and 583,868 employment opportunities to Kazi Mtaani.

The government's figure is substantially higher than the 3.27 million employment increase recorded by KNBS because the two measures are not directly comparable.

While KNBS tracks changes in employment across the economy, the government's tally includes employment opportunities generated through specific programmes and sectors.

Ruto admits unemployment remains a challenge

Despite the government's claims, Ruto has acknowledged that unemployment and inadequate incomes remain major challenges.

Speaking during the Beyond Vision 2030 national conversation on 12 August 2026, the President said Kenya still had too many people without jobs or reliable sources of income.

He identified micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as an important avenue for creating more employment and improving household incomes.

Ruto said the government needed to improve access to credit, markets and business opportunities to enable MSMEs to expand.

The President also linked job creation to the country's next long-term development strategy, saying Kenya needed to address inequality while responding to emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence, technological change and climate change.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.