As youths in Trans Nzoia County set sights on the Kazi Mtaani programme, several leaders have cried foul saying youths in their respective wards have been left out of the initiative. The initiative is a national government programme aimed at cushioning residents in informal settlements in urban and rural settings, mostly youths, by providing casual jobs mostly on sanitation and environment preservation in the Counties, with daily stipends provided. The first phase involved 8 Counties, which were first heavily affected by Covid-19 and restrictions that followed, and the 2nd phase involves all Counties, with 270,000 Kenyans recruited.
The MCAs have lashed scathing attacks on the County Commissioner saying he didn’t heed the cries of youths in the region. They said many of them living below the poverty line hail from Cherangany.
The leaders include Makutano MCA Njoroge Kuya, who doubles up as deputy
speaker in the Trans Nzoia County assembly, Sitatunga’s Daniel Kaburu, Chepsiro-Kiptoror MCA Kipchumba Birir, Mathews Orango of Suwerwa ward, Sinyerere MCA Mwale Abraham, Kaplamai MCA Kagunda Manjari and two nominated MCAs from Cherangany Carol Makokha and Sugut Milcah. They faulted the Trans Nzoia County Commissioner for what they termed as poor mapping of areas in the sub county.
The leaders are dissatisfied with the way Cherangany sub county was left out, claiming the government was ill advised to believe the region has no slums, making it difficult for the locals to benefit from the programme.
“We want to tell our County commissioner Sam Ojwang to have a meeting with leaders from the sub county of Cherangany so that he can understand the plight of youths and know what they are going through. We want to advise him accordingly,” said MCA Njoroge.
They further decried the unfair distribution of food aid to the vulnerable, saying the sub county received meagre supplies of food compared to other areas which received sufficient supplies.
They noted that despite the sub county having regions with people living in abject poverty like Kachibora and Kambi Turkana, the residents from such areas are still going through tough times since what they received from the national government can’t sustain them.
“We only received 500 bags of maize and beans yet other areas like Kapomboi ward , Matisi and Tuwani received a big chunk of food as compared to what we received. We have many affected families living in poverty.” They’ve urged Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa to arrange a meeting with all leaders from Cherangany so that they brief him about the challenges residents are facing.