Written By Lisa Murimi
President William Ruto announced on Monday that Kenya is in talks with the online platform Remotasks to resume its operations in the country.
The announcement came during the official opening of Njoro Technical Training Institute in Nakuru County, where young Kenyans urged President Ruto to negotiate with the company on their behalf.
Remotasks abruptly shut down its operations in Kenya in March 2024, impacting thousands of young Kenyans who relied on the platform for income.
The Remotasks.co.ke website has been inaccessible since the closure, prompting speculation that the shutdown was due to substandard work submissions by Kenyan users.
President Ruto revealed that he has directed the relevant ministry to negotiate with Remotasks on the modalities for resuming operations. The platform offers tasks such as copywriting, media labeling, and AI model training, providing significant income opportunities for many Kenyans.
“Kenyans are ready to work on Remotasks; they have learned from their mistakes and are eager to have the platform back,” one Kenyan youth told the President. She shared how her earnings from Remotasks allowed her to renovate her parents’ house and build a modern gate.
“We need to renegotiate with Remotasks because that is the problem I was informed about,” Ruto remarked. He noted that Remotasks has been hesitant to return due to issues with unreliable workers. “Someone takes work, they don’t do it, and yet somebody else was ready to do it,” he explained.
Ruto emphasized the need for a framework to ensure accountability, stating, “I have already instructed the ministry to engage them, but they have said we need a framework so that there will be somebody ultimately responsible.”
