NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 30- Deputy President William Ruto has hit out at the government’s Kazi Mtaani project saying it will not provide a long-term solution to unemployment.
Speaking during the launch of the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto at the Kasarani stadium, the Deputy President also singled out the training of nurses in the United Kingdom project saying it will not be effective.
He cited ‘Human Capital’ as the single most important asset that the nation has and emphasized the need for it to be fully utilized.
“There are not many white collars job in this country to absorb all the unemployed youths in the country. With the difficult situation and we cannot afford to provide short term solutions. They say when you find yourself in a whole, you should stop digging,” DP Ruto said.
DP Ruto pointed out that with over 10 million Kenyans who are either unemployed or under employed in the country, his government will not focus on short term solutions but establish long term policies that will resolve the deep-rooted youth unemployment.
“They say when you find yourself in a whole, you should stop digging. We are committed as Kenya Kwanza to get out of this situation. We will carefully craft policies that will focus on investing on human capital which is the most important resource of our economy,” Ruto said.
“We cannot postpone these clarion calls for an inclusive, job creating economic model forever, in fact, not for much longer. Bottom-up economics is about investing the limited capital available where it will create the most jobs-at the bottom of the pyramid.”
If the Kenya Kwanza clinches Presidency, DP Ruto said his government will further invest in agricultural productivity to create employment and counter the spiraling cost of living.
The Kazi Mtaani Project is spearheaded by the State Department of Housing and Urban Development and is geared at integrating jobless Kenyans in urban hygiene and sanitation works across 23 informal settlements.
The program provides employment and daily wages for low-income workers living informal settlements while improving urban infrastructure and service delivery within informal settlements.
The first phase of the Kazi Mtaani program saw the enlisting of 26,148 Kenyans living in informal settlements undertake rapid environment improvements and sanitation management in November
So far, over 181,000 youth have registered on the Kazi Mtaani information management platform.
In regard to nurses, Under the memorandum of understanding signed in July last year, Kenya is seeking to send 20,000 nurses to UK hospitals in a bid to improve the welfare of its migrant workers overseas.
The exercise drew a lot of controversy during the first phase of the deployment last year after the Ministry said only 10 nurses passed the language proficiency tests required.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health sent 19 unemployed nurses to the UK.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe stated that some other 70 nurses have been identified and currently being matched with potential employers in the UK and will be travelling to the UK in the next months.
