By Abbas Nazil
Murang’a County in Kenya is preparing to roll out a new government-backed initiative that aims to tackle youth unemployment while enhancing environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
The programme, known as the Climate Work Programme, falls under the broader Climate Resilience Service Programme (CRSP) and will be overseen by the State Departments of Roads and Housing.
The County Implementation Committee, led by County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha, has confirmed that all prerequisites have been fulfilled ahead of the programme’s launch.
In a meeting held on Sunday, the committee gave the green light for the recruitment process to proceed, after a thorough review confirmed full compliance with the mandatory requirements issued by the national government.
Commissioner Nkanatha emphasized the importance of strict adherence to the government’s checklist, underscoring that transparency and accountability must be maintained at all levels of the recruitment and implementation process.
He pointed out that beneficiary selection must be fair and based solely on merit and eligibility as outlined in the national guidelines.
To qualify for the programme, beneficiaries must be Kenyan citizens aged between 18 to 35 years, though allowances are made for vulnerable women and persons with disabilities who may fall outside this age bracket.
Applicants must possess a valid national identification card and at least a primary school level of education.
Furthermore, they must own a Safaricom mobile line that is registered in their name and linked to mobile money services.
Importantly, those already enrolled in any other government cash transfer programme are not eligible.
Nkanatha issued a directive to all Deputy County Commissioners to strictly enforce the eligibility criteria in their respective sub-counties.
He also personally vetted the beneficiary lists to ensure that the gender parity directive—mandating a 50/50 gender representation—was upheld across all areas.
Under the programme, Murang’a County has been allocated 1,442 slots for youth workers and 49 positions for supervisors.
Each recruited worker will earn KSh500 per day, while supervisors will receive a slightly higher daily wage of KSh580.
This is part of a broader strategy to provide immediate economic relief to young people while engaging them in activities that promote environmental conservation and climate adaptation.
The Climate Work Programme is expected to have a dual impact by not only empowering the youth economically but also contributing to long-term climate resilience efforts across the county.
As the start date draws near, authorities continue to finalize logistics and recruitment to ensure a smooth and impactful rollout in this central region of Kenya.
