Workers in Cohort A of the Kazi Mtaani programme will receive their latest payment by Monday.
This is according to the National Steering Committee of the Kazi Mtaani programme that says delayed payments have been occasioned by an unforeseen delay in the processing and release of funds from the Controller of Budget.
“Nonetheless, the State Department of Housing is working expeditiously to resolve the matter and payment will be processed and disbursed over the weekend to be completed by Monday, 9th November, 2020,” Housing PS Charles Hinga said in a statement on Friday.
Noting that the department regrets inconveniences caused by the delay, Hinga has called on the initiative’s workers to be patient as they resolve the issue.
The delay in payment was occasioned by delays by the Controller of Budget, Hinga said.
The Kazi Mtaani programme employs 283,210 youths as workers and supervisors countrywide for 11 days every month.
Each earns Sh455 daily while supervisors take home Sh505 each per day, according to the State Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Payment is via M-Pesa only after Safaricom waived the recovery of Fuliza loans to save indebted youths from automatic recovery of loans from the earnings.
According to Hinga, the M-Pesa payments ensure transparency and accountability.
He said the first cycle of payments had a 92 per cent success rate. The remaining eight per cent had registration details issues.
In the wake of Covid-19, Kazi Mtaani has kept the 18-35 age category youths across the country engaged in access roads construction, clearing of drainages, tree planting and garbage collection in their localities.
Phase one of the programme was rolled out by President Uhuru Kenyatta on April 25 as an economic stimulus to mitigate the adverse effects Covid-19 in the informal settlements.
Phase Two was launched in July with the focus on sustainable work in public spaces like schools, libraries, toilets, footpaths, painting and paving roads with cobblestones.
The programme is expected to end in December but beneficiaries across the country have called on the government to extend the programme.