This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
On Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed Regional and County Commissioners at a training workshop on Kazi Mtaani at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, emphasizing the need for transparency and integrity in the program's national rollout.
According to the President, the initiative aims to assist Kenyan youth whose livelihoods were disrupted by the Covid-19 health crisis. He assured that the program will be free from political interference, stating, "The program will be free of any political interference. It’ll not be a process which politicians will use to get votes," he cautioned.
Following the successful pilot phase, the national rollout of the youth employment initiative will commence on Monday next week. The President expressed satisfaction with the pilot phase, which was conducted in eight counties, saying, "I had the opportunity to visit a number of sites where these young people were working and I saw the positive impact they had in terms of improving lives and protecting the environment of those who are the most vulnerable," he said.
President Kenyatta also urged Regional and County Commissioners to take full control of the program, warning against abuse, saying, "Many of you will recall that a similar program was unfortunately abused. I have to be very clear with you, we will not entertain abuse this time around."
Interior CS Fred Matiang’i reiterated the President’s message, emphasizing the need for the national rollout to meet the highest levels of integrity and transparency.
