NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – A total of 626,620 youths have so far applied for the Kazi Mtaani program three days after the registration exercise for the third phase of the national hygiene program was launched.
Registration data available on November 21 showed Nairobi leading with 113,653 followed by Kiambu 44,689, Nakuru 33,305, Mombasa 32,548, Wajir 22,280 and Uasin Gishu 19,020.
Principal Secretary, State Department for Housing and Urban Development, Charles Hinga said those with no access to internet will be able to register at Huduma Centers soon.
The online registration for the programme set to run to June 2022, encountered technical hurdles on its launch making it inaccessible, with Hinga attributing the downtime to overwhelming traffic which he said lead to crashing of the site.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development promised to sort out the glitches on the Kazi Mtaani Management System.
“All those experiencing glitches we shall sort you out, don’t stress,” Hinga stated on twitter.
The Kazi Mtaani Management System is a mobile and web-based system developed to register and manage Kazi Mtaani beneficiaries who undertake clean up exercise as part of the National Hygiene Programme across the country.
Shortly after the launch on Friday, the Kazi Mtaani portal crashed as millions of youths attempted to register for Phase III of the programme.
Hinga who launched the online registration at Nyansiongo in Borabu, Nyamira county, stated that the third phase targets 250,000 unemployed youths across the country with Sh10 billion injected in the programme.
The third phase of the programme is aimed at equipping the youth with life skills and create job opportunities as well as enable them to engage in self-employment in fields such as plumbing, masonry, and carpentry among others.
“On construction we have very exciting works where you’ll work either as a skilled (mason, plumber etc) or unskilled. You’ll work under a master builder, you’ll be trained (apprenticeship), you’ll get NITA Accredited & NCA Certified. After KM you’ll now be employable. Form groups,” Hinga stated.
The PS further stated that Kazi Mtaani youth in Phase 3 will be key in the roll out of the Kenya Malaria Youth Army, an initiative under the Ministry of Health to advocate for the ending of Malaria in the country.
“On Malaria army we have a program where we will train and equip you to spray pools of water to kill mosquitoes eggs and larva and fumigate homes in malaria-prone areas. In some areas we will use drones to spray,” he added.
Kazi Mtaani is a national initiative that was launched in April 2020, to cushion the most vulnerable able-bodied youth living in informal settlements from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.
The programme, which started with a budget of Sh10 billion, employed 283,210 youths in 900 informal settlements across the country’s 47 counties.
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