The Kazi Mtaani which is also known as the National Hygiene Program (NHP), is a national initiative that kicked off in April 2020 and which was designed to cushion the most vulnerable people from the effects and response strategies of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first phase of Kazi Mtaanikicked off as a pilot program that focused on select informal settlements in the 8 counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kilifi, Kwale, and Mandera.
The scope of works entail construction of market sheds, offices, ablution block and other external works.
The government has announced the recruitment of the third phase of the Kazi Mtaani programme that commenced on Friday, November 19. Principal Secretary for State Department of Housing and Urban Development, Charles Hinga says all interested individuals should apply through the Kazi Mtaani Management System (KMS) Portal.
So far, employment created from the initiative has significantly reduced crime in the areas it was rolled out as well as accorded the youth a chance to earn.
“Another key aspect was to ensure the economic side of it. We needed to create a situation whereby we give some young people money to take home.
“The online portal will ensure those interested be registered in a timely, transparent and efficient manner that will be equitable across the board,” he said on Tuesday.
What is Kazi Mtaani?
The Kazi Mtaani Programmeis an initiative designed to cushion the most vulnerable youth in the informal settlements from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
The objective of the programme is to provide a form of social protection for workers whose prospects for daily or casual work has been disrupted by the containment policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Through this initiative, residents are recruited to undertake projects concentrated in and around informal settlements with the aim of improving the environment, service delivery and providing income generation opportunities.
The State Department for Youth Affairs is currently implementing the training component of Kazi Mtaani Programme in the 47 Counties to equip youth with industry relevant skills to ensure they are employable and productive post COVID – 19 Crisis.
It is expected that after the training the youth will develop a saving culture, form and register groups, establish social enterprises and apply for funding from Government Affirmative Funds (YEDF, NGAAF, Women Enterprise Fund and Uwezo Fund). So far, over 200,000 youth have been trained on Entrepreneurship, Financing for business, Life Skills, Citizenship and National Values.
An online registration portal- Kazi Mtaani Management System (KMS) has been developed where those interested will be registered in a timely, transparent and efficient manner that will be equitable across the board.
Kazi Mtaani initiative is a safety net programme for unemployed youth across the country
“KMS is a mobile and web-based system developed by the Government of Kenya to register and manage Kazi mtaani beneficiaries across the country. The web application will be used to 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,” he said.
Kazi Mtaani Kenya salary
What is the Kazi Mtaani initiative salary? The government program has undoubtedly attracted numerous youths in Kenya, and it goes, therefore, without saying that the Kazi Mtaani payment package could be attractive.
In its first phase, the enlisted workers were paid a daily wage of Kenyan shillings 653.10 for Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa. In contrast, those from the other municipalities were paid Kenyan shillings 600.00.
However, the Kazi Mtaani salary was lowered slightly in phase two to increase the recruitment bracket to 270,000. Each enlisted worker receives payment of shillings of 455.00 per day. The Kazi Mtaani initiative continues to empower youths in all parts of the country.
Since its launch, it has attracted the interest of numerous young people. The initiative provides employment opportunities for these energetic youths and keeps them away from criminal activities.
The jobs are open for both skilled and unskilled individuals expected to:
be aged between 18 and 35 years.
be Kenyan citizens with valid identification cards
possess a certificate of good conduct
be residents of areas in which they make applications
Possessing a KCSE or KCPE certificate is an added bonus.
In the application process, personal details are required which include:
Individual’s name
Identity Card number
Telephone number
Address
The cluster name and village
Recruitment for the third phase of Kazi Mtaani will commence on November 19th 2021. All interested candidates are required to apply through the Kazi Mtaani Management System Portal, a web-based system specifically developed by the government to facilitate the registration and management of beneficiaries of the programme.
The programme is spearheaded by the State Department of Housing and Urban Development. You can visit their website for more information on application procedures.
For phases one and two, those interested in the programme had to present their applications to the assistant chiefs of the areas in which they reside. The project falls under the National Hygiene Programme overseen by the Ministry of Interior.
Currently, enlisted workers from Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa earn a daily wage of Kshs. 653.10 while workers from all other municipalities earn a daily wage of Kshs. 600.00 per day. The wages are guided by the Wage Order of 2018. Payments are made once a week through mobile money transfer.
Specifics of the Kazi Mtaani job
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.
In Phase 2, the enlisted youth will be expected to work for a maximum of 11 days per month.
The project will be expanded in phase 2 to include the upgrade of public sanitation facilities including building public toilets, and construction of projects.
The Kazi Mtaani duties include:
Creating and paving walkways for people so that they are not walking on dusty paths and muddy areas, creating drainage within informal settlements
creating community gardens within settlements;
constructing green spaces and pocket parks where children can play, where land can be made available;
repairing and refurbishing public offices, nursery schools, and community halls within informal settlements.
The Kazi Mtaani recruitment is done through a grass-root selection committee that identifies suitable workers. The selection committee is comprised of:
Informal settlements leadership;
Settlement Executive Committees (SECs), where they are operational;
Nyumba Kumi leaders; and
National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs).
Members of this committee are well versed with the localities and are known to the communities thus they are best placed to undertake this exercise.
The government started Kazi Mtaani in 2020 as a way to cushion the youth against the economic difficulties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The initiative involves performing tasks such as cleaning streets, drainage lines, growing trees and rehabilitation of Public facilities.
The Kenya Ministry of Youth Affairs
The Ministry of Youth Affairs was first established in December 2005 to address youth concerns in the country upon realization that the government needed to deal with the many socio-economic challenges facing the Kenyan youth to achieve the Millenium Development Goals.
With the promulgation of the new Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and subsequent re-organization of government ministries, the youth docket has been domiciled in several ministries and is currently one of the three state departments in the Ministry of ICT Innovation and Youth Affairs. Agencies under the State Department for Youth Affairs are the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) and The National Youth Council (NYC).
Mandate and Functions of The Kenya Ministry of Youth Affairs
The mandate of the State Department for Youth Affairs is anchored in Article 55 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 from which the functions of the Department are derived and outlined in the Executive Order No.1 of 2020 (Revised May, 2020) on Organization of the Government of the Republic of Kenya as follows:
Youth Empowerment;
Mainstreaming Youth in National Development;
Harnessing and Developing Youth Talents for National Development;
Managing and promoting Engagement with Youth for National Development;
Collaborating and overseeing stakeholders engaged in Youth promoting Activities.
The Kenya Ministry of Youth Affairs Contacts
Headquarter
State Department for Youth Affairs
Kencom House, City Hall Way,
P.O Box 34303-00100,
Nairobi,
Email:[email protected]
Website:www.youth.go.ke
