Government to create over 50,000 jobs to boost Nairobi rivers cleanup

The government plans to expand the Climate Works Project by increasing its workforce from the current 20,000 to 50,000, aiming to accelerate the cleanup of Nairobi’s major rivers and reclaim riparian land.

During the launch of the Ngong River cleanup initiative in Mukuru kwa Reuben, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, accompanied by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, stated that this expansion would enhance efforts to restore Mathare, Nairobi, and Ngong rivers.

The project involves removing waste, rehabilitating degraded riverbanks, and planting trees along the waterways.

“The president’s plan is to ensure that Nairobi's rivers are as clean as those in other major cities around the world. Through this initiative, residents of these areas will also gain employment opportunities,” said the CS, adding that the riverbanks had become hotspots for brewing illicit liquor.

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In Mukuru Kwa Reuben, Murkomen revealed that the project would employ 800 youths and women.

Across the 47 kilometers of the three rivers, approximately 20,000 youths from various parts of Nairobi are currently involved in the cleanup.

In addition to the river cleanup, Murkomen announced that contractors working on road construction and sewer systems in the informal settlements are required to hire local residents.

He further revealed plans to increase the daily stipend for workers, which is currently set at Sh 500, once the workforce is expanded.

“We will first increase the workforce to ensure more people are covered, and then address the stipend issue,” Murkomen said.

This expansion is part of the government’s broader environmental conservation strategy, which aims to create thousands of green jobs for Kenyans.

Interior PS Raymond Omollo noted that the ministry plans to extend the project to other towns across the country.

“In the next month, we will have increased the number of people working on this project. We have been running it for three months and have already seen significant improvements,” Omollo said.

The initiative was developed in response to severe flooding in riparian areas, which displaced residents from Mukuru Kwa Reuben, Mathare, Kibra, and Dandora.

Additionally, 30,000 people displaced by these floods have been enlisted for social housing.

Launched in September 2024 by President William Ruto, the project was designed as a multi-sectoral effort to create jobs for unemployed youth.

It draws support from the State Department for Housing and Urban Development, National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), the National Youth Service (NYS), and local communities.

The Climate WorX initiative is a flagship environmental and employment program focused on rehabilitating critical urban river ecosystems while creating job opportunities for Kenyan youth.

It also addresses the needs of the infrastructure, housing, and urban sectors.

Youths are stationed at various intervals along the rivers, and thousands of informal settlement residents who had encroached on riparian land have been relocated, with their houses demolished.

However, CS Murkomen emphasized that those affected by the demolitions would be prioritized in the allocation of units under the social housing project.

“The president has prioritized this housing project for people living in informal settlements. We recognize that the demolitions have affected many people, but those who agreed to pave the way for the cleanup will be given priority in the social housing program,” Murkomen said.

“We are not cleaning the rivers for the sake of it; we have a strategic plan. Even in developed countries, many cities became capitals because of rivers, but Nairobi’s rivers do not reflect that potential. They should be assets for Kenyans,” the CS added.

He concluded by noting that efforts would also be made to ensure that industries and landlords do not direct waste into the rivers.