Kenya is at a crossroads on what to do with 52 percent of workforce who risk being jobless when companies launch the automation of their operations.
While the country seeks to double the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the economy over the next four years, economists state that this could be mitigated through formulation of favorable policies and incentives that are not too prohibitive towards growth.
With the signing of the Continental Free Trade Area deal by 44 African states last month in Kigali, Rwanda, competition in the market is set to become worse.
This will force companies to automate operations by investing in data analytics, robotics, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things among other technologies to drive growth.
Over the next five years, the government estimates to create 1.3 million jobs annually and grow the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the economy from 9.2% to 15%.