Internships in Kenya: Where and How to Apply

Updated 2026-11-09

Internships are the bridge Kenya’s job market actually respects: most graduate hiring shortlists people who have been inside a workplace before. The good news is that structured, paid programmes exist across government, parastatals, banks, telcos, NGOs and the UN. The catch is timing - the big programmes run on fixed annual cycles, and missing the window costs a year.

Attachment vs internship (they are different)

Industrial attachment - for continuing students, required by your course, typically 3 months, often unpaid or stipended; arranged through your institution with employers.
Internship - for graduates (certificate, diploma or degree), typically 3-12 months, usually stipended; the entry route programmes below.
Employers treat them differently in shortlisting - label each correctly on your CV, with dates, department and what you actually did.

The programmes that actually run

Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) - the national government’s paid 12-month programme for recent graduates, advertised by the Public Service Commission in annual cohorts and applied for through the PSC jobs portal. The PSC also runs ongoing internships in ministries; both are free to apply.
Parastatals and agencies - KRA, Kenya Power, KenGen, Central Bank, KPA and others run annual graduate internship or trainee intakes, advertised on their career portals ("internship in KRA/Kenya Power" are among Kenya’s most-searched programmes for a reason).
Banks and telcos - graduate trainee and internship programmes at the big banks and Safaricom; competitive, structured, and a genuine conversion pipeline.
UN and NGOs - UN agencies in Nairobi and the large INGOs run structured internships (see NGO jobs in Kenya); UN internships are increasingly stipended.
County internships - several counties run internship and apprenticeship programmes through their CPSBs, advertised like other county posts (how county hiring works).
Private companies year-round - SMEs take interns continuously without formal programmes; a direct, specific application to a company you can name beats waiting for an advert. Watch the job board - internships appear there alongside entry roles, free to apply.

What internships pay

Stipends, not salaries: government programme stipends have ranged around KES 25,000 monthly for degree-holder cohorts in recent years (less for diploma/certificate levels), parastatals and corporates commonly pay KES 15,000-50,000, NGOs and the UN vary from transport reimbursement to meaningful stipends, and small private firms sometimes pay nothing but experience. Confirm the stipend in the offer letter - and remember the programme’s real payment is the reference and the record.

Applying so you actually get picked

Watch the cycles: PSIP and the parastatal intakes advertise once a year; set alerts on the PSC portal and the agencies’ career pages rather than searching after the window closes.
Documents ready before the advert: ID, CV, certificates, and for public programmes the standard clearances - several ask for a Certificate of Good Conduct at onboarding.
A graduate CV with no job history still has content: projects, attachment work, leadership, tools you can use - how to write it, and the application letter that goes with it.
Free means free: public and corporate internships never charge application or "placement" fees - the recurring "pay KES 500 to book your internship slot" messages are fraud.
Convert the internship: ask for real deliverables, collect a written reference before you leave, and get your supervisor’s name on it. A documented internship inside a verified Job Passport is exactly what your next shortlisting needs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between attachment and internship in Kenya?

Attachment is for continuing students as part of their course, typically 3 months and arranged with your institution; internship is for graduates, typically 3-12 months and stipended, applied for directly through programmes like PSIP, parastatal intakes and corporate programmes.

How much are interns paid in Kenya?

Government programme stipends have run around KES 25,000 monthly for degree holders in recent cohorts; parastatals and corporates commonly pay KES 15,000-50,000; NGO and UN internships range from transport refunds to real stipends. The offer letter states the figure - ask if it does not.

How do I apply for the Public Service Internship Programme?

Through the Public Service Commission’s online jobs portal when the annual cohort is advertised: create a profile, upload your ID, CV and certificates, and apply before the deadline. Application is free, and no agent can improve your chances.

Can I get an internship without connections?

Yes - the structured programmes (PSIP, KRA, banks, UN) score applications against stated criteria, which is precisely why they exist. For unadvertised internships at private firms, a specific, well-written direct application to a named manager works more often than people expect.

Do internships lead to jobs?

Often - corporate and bank programmes are explicit conversion pipelines, and even where the host cannot hire, a documented internship with a written reference is what moves a graduate CV into shortlists. Treat the internship as a 3-12 month interview.