The Proposal

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has ignited a significant policy debate by proposing a substantial increase in the monthly stipend for interns serving in the Kenyan public sector. Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, Cherargei argued that the current remuneration is inadequate to cover basic living expenses, particularly in urban centres like Nairobi. He proposed that the stipend for interns in major cities be raised to KSh 50,000, with those in smaller towns receiving around KSh 30,000. "How do you pay a young person Sh15,000 in this day and era? Let us give them at least Sh50,000 so they can afford a decent house in Umoja or Rongai," the senator stated while presenting a motion on the welfare of Public Service Commission (PSC) interns.

Cherargei's motion aims to compel the PSC to review its internship guidelines to ensure fair compensation, arguing that the current stipends expose young graduates to financial vulnerability and exploitation, undermining the dignity and value of the internship experience. He also suggested that the government should prioritize converting internship roles into permanent and pensionable positions to retain the talent it invests in training.

Current Reality for Public Service Interns

The Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP), initiated by the PSC in 2019, currently offers a standard monthly stipend of KSh 25,000 to university graduates. This figure was established by a PSC circular in late 2020 to standardize pay and support interns with basic expenses like transport and housing. Since its inception, the programme has provided opportunities for over 25,200 graduates, aiming to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical workplace skills. For the 2025-2026 financial year, the government has allocated 7,000 internship slots across its ministries, departments, and agencies.

However, the adequacy of the KSh 25,000 stipend is at the heart of the current debate. While it offers a crucial opportunity, the amount is often stretched thin by the prevailing economic conditions. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the annual inflation rate stood at 4.6% in October 2025, with significant price increases in food, transport, and housing exerting pressure on household budgets. For instance, year-on-year food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by 8.0%, while transport costs increased by 4.8%. These figures underscore the financial challenges faced by a young person trying to live independently on a fixed stipend in a major city.

Economic and Social Context

Senator Cherargei's proposal arrives at a critical juncture for Kenya's youth. The country faces a significant youth unemployment crisis. According to data from the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and other sources in 2025, while the overall unemployment rate is 12.7%, the rate for youth aged 15-34 is a staggering 67%. With over a million young people entering the job market annually, the PSIP is a vital but limited intervention.

The debate also touches on disparities within public sector internships. Medical interns, for example, have their stipends determined by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), which recently faced a legal challenge over its decision to cap the pay for medical officer interns at a maximum of KSh 70,000, citing fiscal sustainability. The High Court upheld the SRC's mandate in a ruling on October 31, 2024, reinforcing the principle that intern remuneration is tied to government budgetary constraints and is considered a training stipend, not a salary. This precedent will likely feature in any formal review of the broader PSIP stipend.

While the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) projects a stable economic outlook with GDP growth of 5.2% in 2025 and inflation remaining within the target band, the government remains under pressure to manage its wage bill. Any proposal to triple stipends for thousands of interns would require careful fiscal planning and could face resistance amid competing national priorities. The motion by Senator Cherargei now moves to the floor of the Senate for debate, where its financial implications and potential impact on youth empowerment will be scrutinized.