• Last year, the State launched the Kazi Mtaani Registration Website (KMR) where interested persons were to register for the programme.
• Nairobi County recorded the highest number of registrations with 179,000, followed by Kiambu 78,000 and Nakuru 60,000.
Image: MERCY MUMO
Blow to thousands of youths after the National Assembly slashed the budget for the Kazi Mtaani Programme Phase III by Sh1 billion.
Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Charles Hinga had earlier revealed that the treasury had allocated Sh10 billion for the programme, which was expected to run from January until June 30, this year.
It has, however been three months down the line and over 1.2 million youths who had applied to join Kazi Mtaani continue to wait in anticipation for project, as government awaits for the National Assembly to pass its Supplementary Budget.
According to the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, the budget for the programme has been reduced by one billion.
Treasury had allocated an additional Sh3.45 billion for the programme undertaken by the State Department of Housing and Urban Development, which was a 56.6 per cent increase from the original estimates budgeted for the programme.
This is contained in the supplementary budget tabled on the floor of the house.
President Uhuru Kenyatta during last Mashujaa Day promised that the National Hygiene Programme would be continued because it had positively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of youths
The third phase was said to be robust and would be implemented in over 900 informal settlements across the 47 counties.
During the two-week registration period in November and December last year, Nairobi County recorded the highest number of registrations with 179,000, followed by Kiambu 78,000 and Nakuru 60,000.
Elgeyo Marakwet recorded the lowest with 8,036, Lamu 8,105 and Samburu 9,679.
Earlier on, PS Hinga had advised that anyone seeking Kazi Mtaani jobs should be vaccinated against Covid-19.
He said youths will be required to show evidence of vaccination.
Last year, the State launched Kazi Mtaani Registration Website (KMR) where interested persons were to register for the programme.
KMR is a mobile and web-based system developed by the Government of Kenya to register and manage Kazi Mtaani.
The online portal will ensure those interested are registered in a timely, transparent and efficient manner that will be equitable across the board.
The web application will be used to register, process the data received from the mobile application, payments and reports.
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 of 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.
It targeted residents of informal settlements who are above eighteen years of age and below 35 years, who are unable to find work due to the disruption of normal economic activity by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The program 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.