President William Ruto has launched the Climate Resilience Service Program (CRSP), a transitional employment program aimed at fostering climate resilience by engaging the unemployed youth in the country.
Speaking on Thursday, September 12, during the launch at Korogocho, Ruto announced that the Climate WorX Mtaani targets the youth across 47 counties and will recruit 200,000 Kenyans.
The program will promote sustainable public works in urban areas, focusing on infrastructure, environmental conservation, and the housing sector.
The first phase of CRSP will commence in Nairobi County, along the Nairobi River, under the guidance of the Nairobi River Commission, with a key focus on environmental enforcement.
"The first phase of Climate WorX in Nairobi County will officially begin on October 1, 2024, with 20,000 young people being onboarded. Building on this foundation, we will extend the program to the four major cities; Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Nakuru—within the month.
Read More
"An additional 40,098 youth will be engaged, with 10,000 of them allocated to other areas of Nairobi starting in early November. In December, we will roll out ClimateWorX across all remaining counties, onboarding 139,902 youth to ensure full national participation and impact," Ruto stated.
The President added," I encourage young people to be part of making Kenya's cities, urban spaces and neighbourhoods liveable, smart, green, and sustainable by applying for ClimateWorX through www.crsp.go.ke."
Kenyans above the age of 18 across all counties are eligible for the program, with each cohort serving for a period of one year.
Each year, the government will recruit a new cohort. The one-year duration has been set to provide the youth with sufficient time to work and plan their next steps in life, according to the government.
During the engagement period, the youth will not only participate in the works program but will also receive life skills training.
A multi-agency approach will be adopted among the implementing partners, with strong collaboration between the national and county governments.
