Government onboards 30,000 more youths into Kazi Mtaani initiative

Some 30,000 youths have been onboarded into Kazi Mtaani initiative in an induction ceremony that saw thousands throng Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi. 

The youths, however, turned rowdy, overwhelming the police, breaching the security protocols that were put in place. 

Leaders who attended the event, including the chief guest, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo and his Medical Services counterpart, Ouma Oluga had a rough time addressing the crowd as youths became ungovernable. 

Other leaders who graced the event included PS Fikirini Jacobs (Youth), Dennis Itumbiz (Head of Creative Economy), Social Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi, and Langata MP Phelix Odiwuor and some Nairobi Assembly lawmakers. 

The Saturday Standard witnessed some of the leaders being swiftly evacuated after groups of youths accosted them, demanding money from them as tensions flared.

Reporters also sought refuge behind the main dais where confrontations also build up as the youths attempted to force their way into the rooms where some officials sought safety.   

In a statement, PS Omollo said the inducted youths into the initiative dubbed Climate Worx will undergo structured training on key government programs, including the Social Health Authority (SHA) under Taifacare.  

This, according to PS Omollo, will help equip them with knowledge and practical skills for national development which involves tree planting, river cleaning, and waste management. 

He said the young people will also be trained on financial literacy, savings culture even as the initiative instills a culture of civic responsibility and patriotism.

"This induction is part of the government’s broader plan to link youth employment to the national development agenda, with Climate WorX serving as a platform for job creation, skills training, and implementation of the country’s climate change response strategy," he said. 

Climate WorX was initiated in September last year in a programme that enlisted 20,000 young Kenyans with an aim to rehabilitate the 47km stretch of the Nairobi River Basin.

President William Ruto would later elevate it to become a national initiative targeting more than 113,000 youths across the country. 

The recruited youths are expecting to earn a daily wage of Sh500, while supervisors will earn Sh550, with payments made directly through mobile money.

So far, Omollo said, the youths have established 538 tree nurseries, potted 752,528 tree seedlings, recorded 634,433 sprouted trees and planted 913,640 trees. 

In addition, 84 kilometers of the Nairobi River have been unclogged, restoring natural water flow and reclaiming riparian spaces for safer and cleaner urban living.

"Our youth have carried out extensive environmental interventions including bush clearing, drainage unclogging, river regeneration through solid waste removal, sewer line repairs and connection, demolition of illegal structures, and leveling of grounds for landscaping," he stated. 

He added: "In Nairobi’s riparian zones – from Mathare and Ngong Rivers to informal settlements like Mukuru Kwa Reuben and Korogocho – the results are visible. Cleared spaces are being reclaimed as playgrounds and community safe zones."

On inclusion, the PS said, the programme has also engaged 42 youths living with disabilities. 

Nairobi Rivers Commission CEO Joseph Muracia said the initiative "is about restoring dignity to informal workers, revitalising our cities, and enabling the youth to lead the way in building a greener, more inclusive future.”