Workers of the Kazi Mtaani programme will receive their delayed payment this week.
Housing PS Charles Hinga said the delay was occasioned by the financial year administration challenges.
“During financial year-end, these challenges are expected, that’s why we didn’t tell you how long it will take to get paid,” Hinga said on Tuesday.
He said the state is putting in efforts to make sure payment will be done despite the delay.
“I cannot withhold payment for the deserving youths. I have the budget but not the exchequer,” the PS said.
Youths in cohort 1 will resume next week Tuesday together with those that worked for five days and others who were left out because they didn’t get a message.
Kazi Mtaani is a national initiative launched in April 2020 to cushion the most vulnerable but able-bodied citizens living in informal settlements from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The programme targets people from 18 years to 35.
Phase three has 533,608 youths.
Only 50 per cent of youths who were in the phase two programme are still in the third phase.
Some 278,736 youths had been employed from all the counties during phase two of the programme, which ended in June last year.
Hinga criticised politicians who claimed that Kazi Mtaani funds were increased from Sh455 to Sh1000, saying they are only playing politics.
“Those politicians are extremely irresponsible. Parliamentary transactions are captured on Hansard, ask them for proof of this increase,” he said.
The PS decried that it was the National Assembly that cut what President Uhuru Kenyatta had promised youths during last year’s Mashujaa Day from Sh10 billion to Sh2.5 billion.
Hinga called on the youths to vote for leaders who had their interests at heart and did not politicise their livelihood.
“Most of you don’t think politics matter, but if someone is willing to play politics with your livelihood then on August 9, you have the power to hire or fire them,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
