This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
Published on May 21, 2020, the Kazi Mtaani initiative has been a beacon of hope for the youth and vulnerable persons in Nakuru's low-income settlements.
Launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in March, the National Hygiene Program has recruited 2,200 residents in Nakuru, with the first phase of the program absorbing 26,148 youth on a pilot basis in eight counties across the country.
Principal Administrative Secretary for Interior, Kang'ethe Thuku, said the second phase of the program will be rolled out nationwide within a month, bringing on board more than 200,000 youth.
Thuku noted that the initiative has been extended to Naivasha Sub-County, Eastleigh in Nairobi, and Old Town in Mombasa, after they were confirmed to be hotspots of Covid-19.
"The initiative was rolled out on a pilot basis in counties where job cuts and losses were drastically witnessed following the outbreak of the virus," Thuku said.
Residents in the three informal settlements of London, Lake View, and Kaptembwa have expressed their gratitude to the government for the initiative, citing a reduction in crime rates and improved hygiene standards.
"We are experiencing low crime rates lately. I feel the environment is favourable even for our children," said Beatrice Wanjiku, a 68-year-old resident of London Estate.
Thuku assured that stringent measures have been put in place to ensure transparency in the implementation of the Sh.300 million first phase of the Kazi Mtaani Program.
"Chiefs and their assistants are under firm instructions to ensure that Nyumba Kumi clusters only forward names of genuine cases for consideration into the program," Thuku warned.
