Over 42,000 to benefit from Kazi Mtaani in Central

About 42,000 youths in the five counties of Central region will benefit from the Kazi Mtaani programme.

They are Nyeri, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, Kiambu and Murang’a where the programme was launched on Monday.

Regional commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga said about 4,000 youths from the total figure will be from Nyeri county.

 Nyagwanga spoke at Majengo slums in Nyeri town during the launch of the programme, which will run for six months. He said the programme will benefit people living in informal settlements.

“The main focus is on the informal settlement areas and specifically areas which are vulnerable. The programme is meant to assist the most vulnerable,” he said.

They will earn Sh455 per day. Nyagwanga said the money will be expected to circulate in the areas to mitigate the effects of Covid-19.

The programme will involve clearing of bushes, cleaning drainage systems, pruning trees and beautification of towns. The youth will also be engaged in building of roads and doing civil works like painting of schools and hospitals.

Nyagwanga said the agencies concerned will provide the materials to make sure they are able to work.

“We shall hire even artisans where we will need skilled people in construction sites,” he said.

He called on those listed to ensure they provide their correct details like their ID numbers, mobile phone numbers and correct names which will be fed into the computers to process payment electronically through M-pesa.

He said they will be required to log in at 8am every morning when they report to work and log out at 4pm when leaving.

He said those who will have logged once in a day will be assumed not to have worked the whole day.

The official called on those hired to be patriotic when undertaking the duties so that the community can benefit.

“This work must be done properly. We have hired supervisors among the youth champions while in some counties like Nyandarua and Kiambu we had the benefit of engaging the National Youth Service personnel to supervise,” he said.

Susan Mwangi from Witemere slums thanked the government for the opportunity to work in the programme, saying the pay earned would cushion them from the adverse effects of Covd-19.

She said many families in the slums were struggling to put food on the table, adding that the programme will be a relief to many.

“Fellow youth will now be busy and the programme will go a long way towards bring the level of insecurity down,” she said.

Moses Waithaka from Majengo said the programme will provide an alternative income for many who lost their jobs following the pandemic.

Edited by Henry Makori