Members of Parliament (MPs) now say they want the Kazi Mtaani Initiative launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta stopped on grounds that it has loopholes.
Critiquing the youth program, they stated that it was poorly planned and that there is dire need to restructure and re-model it as it could be
They also insinuated that the said loopholes in the initiative are a great avenue for embezzling the stipulated funds by corrupt individuals.
The lawmakers told Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani that the initiative is not viable and the government needs to go back to the drawing board to find a different approach.
Speaking on Wednesday during the second day of the third National Assembly leadership retreat, the lawmakers complained that majority of the youth especially in the constituencies have been locked out of the program.
According to Limuru MP Peter Mwathi, the exclusion of some youth who could equally benefit from the initiative is causing division among them.
Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi thinks that the value of money paid to the Kazi Mtaani youth needs to match the work they do.
“When you go to the constituency, the youth are doing drainage today, the following day they do the same thing. Imagine if we can use these young people to make desks or something that we can measure the output or utilise their skills effectively?” Cheboi posed.
Kanini Kega, the chairperson of the budget appropriation committee also thinks a change on the initiative is necessary.
Although Yatani admitted that in some areas, the program was hurriedly introduced without a proper plan, they are currently putting up measures to ensure it lives up to its intended objective.
Nevertheless, the Treasury CS says the program will continue until the end of the year as intended in order to assist the youth get back to their feet after the effects of Covid-19.
“We have put up accountability measures that that will be rolled out soon so that the program can continue until the economy stabilized and the people can go back to their jobs,” Mr Yatani said.
The program is geared at integrating jobless Kenyans in urban hygiene and sanitation work across 23 informal settlements in the country.
It provides employment and daily wages for low-income workers living informal settlements while improving urban infrastructure and service delivery within informal settlements.