• Phase III will be implemented in over 900 informal settlements across all 47 counties.
• The recruitment process kicked off on November 19, ahead of the official start in December.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
The Kazi Mtaani programme will be extended until the end of June 2022, Housing PS Charles Hinga has said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Hinga said this will offer relief to thousands of youths enlisted in the project.
"The expanded Phase will equip the youth with skills aimed at creating job opportunities as well as enable them to engage in self-employment in fields such as plumbing, masonry, carpentry," he said.
The Kazi Mtaani Phase three is expected to be bigger and better.
It will be robust and will be implemented in over 900 informal settlements across all 47 counties.
The recruitment process kicked off on November 19, ahead of the official start in December.
An online registration portal – Kazi Mtaani Management System — has been developed where those interested will be registered in a timely, transparent and efficient manner that will be equitable across the board.
In the first and second phases of the programme, over 280,000 youths were employed from 1,100 informal settlements in the 47 counties.
They planted millions of trees, created access roads, rehabilitated public facilities, build public toilets, and cleaned informal settlements and rivers among other works.
So far, over Sh10 billion has been utilised in the programme which has put food on the table of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans and enabled thousands of youths to start small thriving businesses.
President Uhuru Kenyatta in his remarks during the Mashujaa Day promised the Kazi Mtaani Programme would be continued because it had positively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of youth.
The youth have also received extensive training on life skills such as setting up businesses, HIV/Aids prevention, mental health and counselling, and basic skills in masonry and carpentry.
CUSHIONING YOUTH
Kazi Mtaani is a national initiative that was launched in April 2020 to cushion the most vulnerable but able-bodied citizens living in informal settlements from the effects and response strategies of the Covid -19 pandemic.
The programme, which started with a budget of Sh10 billion, employed 283,210 youths in 900 informal settlements across the 47 counties has put food on the table of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans and enabled thousands of youths to start small thriving businesses.
It targeted residents of informal settlements who are above 18 years of age and below 35 years basically the youth who are unable to find work due to the disruption of normal economic activity by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The programme has made a great impact on the youths lives as it has transformed their lives in all dimensions by creating job opportunities and this has helped reduce the crime rate in society.
Edited by D Tarus