The popular Kazi Mtaani initiative by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta is set for a comeback following pronouncements by President William Ruto during a development tour of Nakuru County on Monday, July 15, 2024.
The programmed had been rolled out by Kenyatta to bridge the unemployment gap among youth in the country by offering casual jobs such as cleaning and maintaining public infrastructure at a daily stipend.
In his address to the people, President Ruto said he had heard the appeals of Kenyans and will reintegrate the programme to continue offering opportunities to unemployed members of the public.
“There are women here who have told me they want Kazi Mtaani. In that Kazi Mtaani, I have said starting next week, 500 people will be working here under that plan,” he announced.
“This is so that we can make sure more young people can get employment opportunities.”
The head of state did not however, immediately reveal whether the programme would be rolled out in other parts of the country or restricted to Nakuru County alone.
Ruto initially outlawed the programme in September 2022, claiming it had been used by the former administration as an avenue to squander public resources.
He had further argued that the government could redirect the resources elsewhere to create more dignified opportunities for the Kenyan youth.
At the time, Kazi Mtaani recruited 500 youth from every ward on a contractual basis. Upon completion of a contract, the teams would be replaced by a new lot.
