The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has announced 13,000 job opportunities for youth in a new initiative that mirrors the phased-out Kazi Mtaani program.
Climate WorX Mtaani is a National Government climate action and livelihoods initiative that will engage the youth in environmental sustainability programs.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Tuesday, September 10, said the workforce will also support tree-planting efforts to strengthen climate resilience in Nairobi.
“The program aims to engage over 13,000 youth in Nairobi County in climate action by cleaning up the Nairobi, Ngong, and Mathari Rivers, addressing environmental and public health concerns,” Duale announced.
He stated that this aligns with the 15 billion National Tree Growing Programme, which focuses on waste management, road improvement, enhancing sanitation in informal settlements, landscaping of riparian corridors, and ecosystem restoration.
About Climate Works Mtaani
The Climate Works Mtaani program will engage over 280,000 youths across the country, formerly part of the defunct Kazi Mtaani Initiative, in tree-planting activities, in line with President William Ruto’s 2022 pledge.
In that year, Ruto launched a five-year initiative to plant five million trees.
Also Read: Ruto Gives New Directive to 3 CSs on Kazi Mtaani
The Kazi Mtaani Initiative, which was started by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2021, has been abolished by Ruto, who considered it outdated.
This initiative previously provided youths from urban informal settlements with opportunities to work on various public projects as part of a broader social protection program.
Ruto on Mtaani Initiative
President William Ruto on August 26 announced that the National Youth Service (NYS) will be in charge of the Mtaani Initiative cohort.
He explained that the initiative will allow the youth to take part in managing the environment and help Kenya respond to the issue of climate change.
“I want to announce that the NYS will be supervising the cohort of young people that shortly we will be recruiting under our climate works mtaani initiative,” Ruto said.
“The program will bring more young people into the space of greening Kenya, managing our environmental sustainability and making sure that we respond to matters changes using climate action initiatives that we have in place.”
Also Read: Ruto Orders Gun Handling Training for All NYS Officers
President Ruto emphasized the dual benefits of the initiative, highlighting that it will create employment opportunities for thousands of youths while also advancing the country’s environmental goals.
“This initiative is not just about job creation but also about instilling a sense of responsibility among our youth to take care of their environment. It is a critical part of our comprehensive strategy to address the myriad challenges of climate change while empowering our young population,” he explained.
He further asked Public Service CS Justin Muturi to work with Environment CS Aden Duale and his defence counterpart Soipan Tuya to take charge of the Climate Works Mtaani Initiative.
“I am instructing the minister responsible for NYS to work with the CS responsible for Environment, Housing and Defence for them to provide leadership under this initiative as we focus on growing 15 billion trees as our response to matters climate change,” Ruto said.
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