This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
On a day of celebration in Elburgon, Nakuru County, a phone call from President Uhuru Kenyatta brought joy to the villagers. The call was made during the launch of the Kazi Mtaani programme by Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga.
Ann Wanjiru, a beneficiary of the programme, was overjoyed when Principal Secretary Hinga handed her his phone to speak to the president on loudspeaker. 'Am speaking to the president? I'm super excited. We are grateful for the Kazi Mtaani programme. We request that the period be extended,' Wanjiru told the president.
President Kenyatta, however, advised the beneficiaries to be patient as the project is rolled out systematically. 'I may wish to have all youths retained but we aim at having the resources reach as many youths as possible matuura moothe (all villages),' Kenyatta responded.
Wanjiru received applause from the residents as she ended the call with the Head of State. The president ended the conversation with a promise that he will soon visit the area and meet the residents for an interactive session.
Principal Secretary Hinga also announced that more than 280,000 youth recruited into the second phase of the Sh10 billion National Hygiene Programme will be trained on access to government procurement opportunities (AGPO). He noted that many youths continue to miss out on AGPO because they perceive bidding for government tenders as costly, long and laborious.
