Nairobi: 25,000 Youth Join Kenya’s Climate Worx Green Workforce in Major Urban Sustainability Push
- President William Ruto's Climate Worx programme aims to tackle the high level of unemployment in urban areas
- Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC) Chief Executive Officer Brigadier Joseph Muracia explained why Climate Worx is not just about cleanliness
- The induction of 25,000 youths into the programme signals the start of a more ambitious implementation phase
Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Nairobi – The government has inducted 25,000 young people into its flagship Climate Worx Green Workforce, scaling up a bold national effort to tackle urban climate challenges while creating green jobs.
Source: Facebook
The mass induction ceremony was held on Friday, July 25, at Uhuru Gardens, marking a significant milestone in the country’s urban environmental recovery strategy, which focuses on climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and public space regeneration.
The Climate Worx Program, a flagship initiative under the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, is being implemented in partnership with county governments, the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC), the National Youth Service (NYS), civil society organisations, and other development actors.
“This isn’t just about cleaning up our environment; it’s about tackling the problem at the source. It’s about restoring dignity to informal workers, revitalising neglected urban spaces, and building a greener, more inclusive future led by our youth," said NRC Chief Executive Officer Rtd. Brigadier Joseph Muracia.
The newly inducted cohort will be deployed to key sites, particularly in informal settlements, riparian corridors, and flood-prone urban zones.
The team comprises youth, women, NYS graduates, and community-based groups selected through a structured recruitment drive carried out in recent months.
Since its launch, Climate Worx has played a central role in environmental interventions across Nairobi’s high-density neighbourhoods, including Kibra, Dandora, and Lucky Summer.
Activities have included riverbank decontamination, drainage rehabilitation, sanitation improvement, and the conversion of neglected spaces into public recreation areas.
One of the program’s central targets is the 27-kilometre Nairobi River corridor, which is undergoing phased rehabilitation under a Special Planning Area framework declared in March 2025.
The corridor, once a symbol of environmental decay, is now a flagship zone for integrated urban regeneration.
Beyond cleaning up rivers and restoring ecosystems, Climate Worx is structured to deliver broad socio-economic benefits.
These include paid employment opportunities for underserved youth, skills training, small enterprise incubation, and long-term infrastructure development.
Officials at Friday’s event said the expanded program signals the start of a more ambitious implementation phase, with additional sites to be activated in the coming weeks.
Continued mobilisation is expected through close coordination with community organisations, urban development teams, and sectoral agencies.
Leaders reaffirmed that the initiative is built for sustainability, with long-term investments planned in tools, training, coordination, and monitoring systems to secure and scale the gains.
Climate Worx has become a model for how job creation, urban renewal, and climate adaptation can be achieved simultaneously.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
