More than 26,000 Jobless youth to benefit from daily wage from the government

More than 26,000 youths across the country are set to benefit from a new public works programme that will offer them daily wages hence cushioning them against the adverse effects of the novel Coronavirus pandemic.

In Nairobi, 10,600 Kenyans living in Mathare, Kibera, Mukuru and Korogocho have been enlisted for the National Hygiene Program rollout and have been undertaking daily sanitation and environment preservation duties in the respective settlements.

The Kazi Mtaani programme spearheaded by the State Department of Housing and Urban Development is geared at integrating jobless Kenyans in urban hygiene and sanitation works across 23 informal settlements.

State Department of Housing and Urban Development principal secretary Charles Hinga said the NHP would provide twin benefits in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The PS said the National Hygiene Program (NHP) initiative is an extended public works project (EPWP) aimed at providing employment and daily wages for low-income workers living informal settlements while improving urban infrastructure and service delivery within informal settlements.

“The Kazi Mtaani NHP has been conceptualized to provide social relief by providing jobs and facilitating hygiene interventions to help contain the Covid-19 pandemic in informal urban settlements,” Hinga said.

He further added that phase one of the program would deliver wages to more than 30,0000 informal settlement dwellers for the next one month, allowing them to meet their economic needs.

The youth will be paid twice a week through mobile money transfer, to enable them have daily incomes.

The first phase of the NHP program will focus on informal settlements in the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kilifi, Kwale, and Mandera.  These counties have seen the first instances of COVID-19 and have been affected by the cessation of movement policy initiated to contain the spread of the virus.  The containment strategies have affected economic activity, making it difficult for those reliant on daily work to meet their basic needs.