More youths are set to benefit from the government’s Climate WorkX project after the government announced that it will expand its workforce from 20,000 to 50,000 workers.
Speaking while launching the Ngong River Clean-up initiative in Mukuru kwa Reuben, Embakasi East Constituency, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen revealed that the increase in the number of Kenyans working to reclaim riparian land will fastrack the restoration of Mathare, Nairobi, and Ngong Rivers.
The Climate WorX project involves removing waste, rehabilitating degraded river banks, and planting trees along the waterways.
Apart from expanding the workforce, the government is also considering increasing the daily stipend, which currently stands at Ksh500.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during a meeting with IPOA leadership at his office in Nairobi on January 22, 2025.
Kipchumba Murkomen
“The president has sent me to let you know that we are increasing the workforce in the Climate WorX project from 20,000 to 50,000,” Murkomen revealed.
Phase one of the Climate WorX project launched by President William Ruto in September 2024 saw 20,000 youth benefit in employment while transforming the Nairobi River Basin into an economic and recreational eco-system.
Speaking at the same event, Interior PS Raymond Omollo revealed that in one month, the government will also be reviewing the stipend.
“We have heard your plea about increasing the daily stipend and increasing the workforce, in another one month, we will plan and resolve all these issues, including increasing the workforce,” Omollo assured.
The move to restore the Mathare, Nairobi, and Ngong rivers is part of Kenya Kwanza’s broader environmental conservation strategy while creating green jobs for Kenyans.
Murkomen revealed that the government wants the country’s capital city to emulate other global cities like Paris, London, and Washington, which maintain clean rivers that cut across urban areas.
Further, the government is looking to expand the Climate WorX program to other cities in the country, including Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, and other major towns.
At the same time, the Interior CS has announced plans to expand Nairobi’s sub-counties from 11 to 17, to match the number of constituencies.
According to the CS, the move to increase the sub-counties in Nairobi is aimed at enhancing service delivery and fair distribution of employment and other opportunities.
Undated photo of social workers cleaning Nairobi River
File