Interior Principal Secretary, Karanja Kibicho, has responded to claims made by Kenya Kwanza presidential running mate, Rigathi Gachagua, that the government was shortchanging beneficiaries of the Kazi Mtaani programme.
Through a statement dated Tuesday, June 14, Kibicho dispelled reports that the beneficiaries of Kazi Mtaani are being underpaid by the government while the funds are being diverted to fund campaigns.
The vocal PS maintained that Ksh450 is the amount that was budgeted for under the National Hygiene Programme. He insisted that the said amount has not changed since the programme was launched in 2020.
Kibicho challenged Gachagua, Kiharu Member of Parliament, Ndindi Nyoro, and other lawmakers aligned to Kenya Kwanza to support their claims that the government allocated Ksh1,000 daily to each youth with Hansard recordings from Parliament.
"I would want them to produce the Hansard report confirming their argument that indeed, MPs legislated the amount they claim. This should be fairly easy to prove as the National Assembly is a House of records," the PS stated.
Kibicho noted that the daily remittance for 530,608 beneficiaries of Kazi Mtaani programme has not changed and the government does not intend to divert the funds towards campaigns.
The PS further refuted claims that the programme is tailored to lure voters into supporting the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, saying its rollout was decentralized and the recruitment of the beneficiaries was undertaken at the grassroots level across the country.
Ndindi Nyoro was captured on video stating that the government had shortchanged the youth by slashing their daily payments from Ksh1,000 to Ksh450.
Earlier on, Transport Cabinet Secretary, James Macharia, had clarified that wages for the Kazi Mtaani program have not been altered and will remain the same for the third phase.
Macharia noted that the wages were revised in the second phase of the program because it was expanded and approved to recruit over 280,000 youth from across the country.
He added that while the President promised Ksh10 billion for the programme, Parliament only approved an additional Ksh2.5 billion for the current financial year.
