Government Extends Kazi Mtaani Program to June 2022

The Kazi Mtaani program has been extended until June 2022. This is according to the Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga who promised that the next phase is going to be bigger and better.

According to Hinga, Phase three of Kazi Mtaani will be implemented in over 900 informal settlements across all 47 counties.

“The expanded phase will equip the youth with skills aimed at creating job opportunities as well as enable them to engage in self-employment. The youth have also received extensive training on life skills such as setting up businesses, HIV/Aids prevention, mental health and counseling, and basic skills in masonry and carpentry,” he stated.

Kazi Mtaani, which is a national initiative that was launched in April 2021, to cushion the most vulnerable and able-bodied youth living in informal settlements from the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, has employed over 280,000 youths.

Hinga further stated that the government has rolled out a web-based application, KMMS, which is a mobile and web-based system developed to recruit and pay youth across the country in the Kazi Mtaani program to safeguard public funds.

ALSO READ: What Costs Should You Expect When Setting Up a Business?

“The recruitment process, which started last Friday ahead of the official launch next month, is being carried out via an online registration portal known as Kazi Mtaani Management System (KMMS),” he stated.

The web application will register/recruit, process the data received from the mobile application, payments, and reports; while the mobile application is used to collect workers, clock in and clock out, and projects data.

President Uhuru Kenyatta in October 2021 directed the National Treasury to allocate 10 billion shillings to the Kazi Mtaani program. He said the program has been a success and has its effect in enhancing opportunities for the youth.

The head of state said the program was part of the measures that will inject an additional 25 billion shillings into the economy.

The work done by the youths in phases one and two of the program included cleaning drainage lines, garbage collection, cleaning streets, growing trees, and rehabilitation of public facilities.

The program has helped in reducing crime and drug abuse in the informal settlements reduced the dependency ratio of the youth and improve livelihoods.