Homa Bay: President William Ruto, during the Madaraka Day Celebrations in Homa Bay County last week, announced the revival of the 'Kazi Mtaani' programme, now rebranded as 'Climate Workx'. The initiative's immediate implementation across all counties has sparked hope among Kenya's youth, offering them an opportunity to participate in community work and earn a living.
According to Kenya News Agency, the programme's relaunch has been met with enthusiasm, particularly from those who previously benefited from the Kazi Mtaani initiative under former President Uhuru Kenyatta. Caroline Anyango, a 38-year-old resident of Oruba Village in Migori County, expressed her optimism about Climate Workx, recalling how the past programme had positively impacted her life. She believes that the new initiative will offer jobless youth a chance to improve their economic status while contributing to community beautification and sanitation efforts.
Collins Chacha, another beneficiary from Mabera in Kuria West Sub County, praised the previous programme's success in enhancing local sanitation and planting tree seedlings in public areas. He is hopeful that Climate Workx will similarly transform the nation's environmental and infrastructural landscape.
Lawrence Matiku, a father of five unemployed graduates, shared his belief that the programme will alleviate youth unemployment, akin to Kazi Mtaani, which provided vital financial support for many families. Participants previously engaged in tasks such as cleaning roads and government offices, earning a decent wage to support their livelihoods.
The forthcoming Climate Workx programme plans to recruit approximately 110,000 young people, aged 18 to 35, who will receive Sh500 per day for their efforts in various community works. The initiative aims to address youth unemployment while supporting climate resilience and infrastructure maintenance. Recruitment will prioritize former National Youth Service recruits, with only one participant per household allowed.
The programme will be overseen by engineers from the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), in collaboration with national government administration officers.