Desperate situations call for desperate actions is a saying that befits thousands of unemployed but trained teachers. The ‘Kazi Mtaani’ initiative has come at a good time for thousands of the trained teachers but who are either unemployed. Also benefiting are board of management teachers who have been rendered jobless due to effects of the covid-19 pandemic.

Many of the BOM teachers are yet to receive a penny from the schools since March this year.

More than 270,000 youths will be employed under the second phase of the initiative; with the government planning to spend up to Sh10 Billion for the project.

In the first phase, the project was rolled out in eight counties including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kwale and Mandera. A total of 26,000 youths were engaged.

The Kazi Mtaani recruitment is done done by a selection committee made up of Informal settlements leadership, Settlement Executive Committees (SECs), where they are operational, Nyumba Kumi leaders and National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs).

Among other requirements, the youths must be Kenyan Citizens aged between 18 and 35 years with valid identification cards. They must also possess a certificate of good conduct and be residents of areas in which they make applications.

Enlisted youths earn a daily wage of Sh600.00 per day. Payments are made once a week through mobile money transfer.

The youth are expected to work for a maximum of 8 hours from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, Monday to Friday, every week with weekends and public holidays exempted.

The youth do menial jobs that include:

• creating and paving walkways,
• creating/ clearing drainage within informal settlements,
• creating community gardens within settlements;
• constructing green spaces and pocket parks where children can play and
• repairing and refurbishing public offices, nursery schools, and community halls within informal settlements.