This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
On August 4, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua appeared on Citizen TV to express his concerns about the Kazi Mtaani Programme, a Ksh10 billion initiative launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in May.
According to Mutua, the jobs offered under the programme are not well thought out, with youth hired to perform rudimentary tasks such as slashing bushes and clearing drainage.
These tasks, he argued, are not impactful as the bushes would grow back after a short period, and instead, the state should spend the money on development projects like construction of roads and toilets.
"The problem I have with the Kazi Mtaani programme is the kind of job the people are doing," Mutua stated. "Kazi Mtaani should be put for development. Let our youth build something. Let them come and build toilets and roads. Let them build the things that they can walk by a month later and can see it."
File image of youths partaking in Kazi Mtaani initiative
File
As of August 4, the programme had experienced street protests over non-payment of wages, with youth claiming they were underpaid after rendering services.
They alleged that on Tuesday, August 4, they were only paid Ksh90 from the total daily wage of Ksh450 they were promised.
At the beginning of July, Nairobi youth also held demonstrations over non-payment under the Kazi Mtaani initiative.
More than 100 youth had been contracted for various projects under the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) led by General Mohammed Badi.
