The government, through the steering committee of the National Hygiene Program, has announced an extension of Kazi Mtaani.
The initiative was extended just weeks after President Uhuru Kenyatta promised that the youth program meant to end on March 4, 2021, would be extended, covering 280,000 youth engaged in the programme.
Currently, workers under the programme, operate on two shifts of Cohort A and B, each working for 11 days a month. Workers earn Kshs. 455 per day while the supervisors earn Kshs.505 per day.
"The success rate for payment to the youth through the M-Pesa platform has of late peaked at over 99 percent, injecting over Kshs.700 million into the grassroot economy every two weeks," reads an excerpt of the statement.
The Covid-19 mitigation initiative kicked off in July 2020, with an aim of improving hygiene and sanitation in informal settlements as well as helping thousands of youth rendered jobless by the pandemic.
The activities included in the initiative are; garbage collection and street cleaning, fumigation and unclogging of drainages, rehabilitation of public facilities such as buildings, access roads, and walkways.
Other activities include; tree growing and preparations of stabilized soil blocks for construction has also prominently featured.
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.
"Many of the youth have come forth with testimonials of the transformative impact of the programme as they have since been able to set up small thriving businesses," reads a statement in part.
The current phase is expected to involve the youth in works whose outcome is of a more permanent nature.
