The national government will employ about 3,000 youth to repair roads and footbridges destroyed by rain in Murang’a county.
County commissioner Mohamed Barre said the youth will be employed in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive that local labour be used to rehabilitate damaged road infrastructure.
Uhuru, on May 23, said the government had set aside Sh5 billion to hire local youth to rehabilitate access roads, footbridges and other public infrastructure.
Barre said chiefs and village elders had been asked to identify youth whose names were to be entered in the county database for employment when needed.
The administrator said those from areas worst hit by poverty, especially slums and other vulnerable communities, will be prioritised for hiring.
“We have not yet received the final figure but we may employ about 3,000 across the eight subcounties,” Barre said while addressing journalists in his office on Wednesday.
He said interested youth should consult their village elders and chiefs who he said best know the most deserving cases.
Those shortlisted will be vetted.
Two weeks ago, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa toured the county to assess the damages caused by rains. Murang’a was one of the counties worst hit by landslides with the others being West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet.
Eugene said many footbridges and roads were destroyed by earth movements while nearby schools have had their windows jammed across the three counties.
The youth will gravel and murram a 3.5 kilometre bypass that will be established in Kariua area of Kandara where cracks have emerged on the Thika-Murang’a-Nyeri highway.
They will also murram a diversion at Kanjama in Mathioya along Kangema-Kiria-ini road where a section sunk into the ground for the second time in three years.
Barre said the youth will also be used to clean up towns and plant trees.
Edited by P.O
