At 6:30am, 23-year-old Dennis Omondi puts on a reflector jacket, grabs a spade, and joins 30 other young people to clear drainage at Migori Posta stage; by 4pm, he will have made Sh 455. But for Omondi, the money is not the most important part.
“We no longer wait at the stage for boda boda customers. Kazi Mtaani gave me dignity and enabled me to put on the table a daily meal for my family,” he says, wiping sweat on his brow as his team clears a culvert clogged with plastic bottles.
Dennis, as he is fondly known by his peers, is one among the over 7,000 youth recruited under Phase 3 of the Kazi Mtaani programme in Migori County. The programme is currently referred to as Climate Change (Mazingira).
The government-sponsored initiative employs the unemployed youth for manual work like cleaning culverts, collecting garbage, and beautifying public spaces. The programme, run by the Department of Housing, has become essential in a county where youth unemployment is high.
Money earned by youth from manual work is, “Good enough for them to live a decent life,” confirms Jared Buoga, Director of Housing in Migori County, whose department oversees the programme.
For 26-year-old Mary Atieno from Suna Central Ward, Kazi Mtaani wages have become seed money. After saving Sh200 daily for six months, she joined a 15-member women’s self-help group that recently received Sh40 million from the Migori County Government’s economic empowerment grant.
“We received Sh100,000 as a group. I bought a stock of mitumba clothes, which I sell, and it provides me with good income. Currently I am able to employ two sales girls. Kazi Mtaani taught me discipline. The grant gave me capital,” Atieno says as she arranges clothes at her stall in Migori Township.
Beyond providing an income, the programme is also known for beautifying compounds in government offices and for planting flowers and trees in public areas.
While Kazi Mtaani offers daily wages, the Mazingira Youth Programme is helping youth move from casual work to entrepreneurship. It was launched alongside a host of programmes, aiming to support 400 young people in gainful employment.
“President William Ruto challenged us to ensure youth don’t just get handouts. They need capital to create jobs,” says Governor Ochilo Ayacko.
“The Mazingira Programme is our response-giving youth tools, not just temporary work,” adds the governor.
At Kawa Market in Suna East, ten youth groups are using the grant to buy waste collection trolleys, seedlings, and composite bins. They collect organic waste from markets, process it into organic fertilizer, and sell it to farmers from as far as the Kuria and Nyatike regions of the vast County.
“We were paid Sh 455 for clearing and collecting garbage. Then came the grant part of the programme. We used the grant to turn garbage into compost fertilizers and sell 50 kg of it for Sh 1,500. Mazingira has taught us that trash is money,” says group leader Brian Ouma, 25.
This effort comes at a time when private investment is growing in Migori’s green economy. A non-governmental Organisation -Women in Cold Chain, Agriculture and Renewable Energy (WICCARE Africa Limited) is setting up a Sh60-million green hub at Nyailing’a village to produce alternative cooking fuel and organic fertilizer.
“Energy is central to our mission to improve lives and protect the planet through sustainable energy solutions,” says WICCARE CEO Fidoh Kens Ochieng.
The hub is expected to partner with Mazingira youth groups for waste supply.
However, not all stories are rosy tales without challenges. Some youth complain about delayed payments and limited spots. “We applied, but only 30 people per ward were selected. Many of us are still waiting,” says Caren Amondi from Nyatike.
Director Mary Nyakiti says the County is working with the national government to increase available slots and digitized payments to reduce delays. She adds that Kazi Mtaani also serves as a skills pipeline: “Youth learn teamwork, time management, and saving. Those who finish can apply for TVET courses at Mabera, Kehancha, and Kakrao colleges established under government TVET expansion.”
Back at Posta stage, Dennis Omondi completes his work and heads to a SHOFCO business training tent nearby. SHOFCO has reached over 44,000 young people in Migori through entrepreneurship and advocacy training focused on leadership and business development.
“Real change begins when communities take charge of their own destiny. Kazi Mtaani is the bridge that connects people to their potential,” says SHOFCO Founder Dr. Kennedy Odede during a recent SUN elections event in the county.
For Omondi, the journey is just beginning. “Next year I want to move from Kazi Mtaani to Mazingira. I want my own waste collection business. Idle hands used to hurt us. Now our hands are building Migori,” he says, loading his spade into a county lorry.
By Wendy Merryl
