Ruto Announces 20,000 Fresh Jobs for Cleaning Nairobi River
- President William Ruto is upbeat that the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration initiative will bolster his job creation agenda
- According to Ruto, the initiative, which is part of the larger Climate WorX programme, is set to employ at least 40,000 youth as of next week
- The cleansing of Nairobi River is key to the whole agenda, with Ruto projecting a clean water body, clean enough that it would naturally host aquatic life
Nairobi - President William Ruto has announced the expansion of two flagship environmental and infrastructure programs that he says will double employment opportunities for young people in the capital city while simultaneously regenerating the city’s river systems and roads.
Source: Twitter
How many youth will Nairobi River cleanup employ?
Speaking in Dandora during an inspection tour of the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Project, the president announced that an additional 20,000 youths will be enrolled in the Climate WorX programme starting next Monday, July 21, bringing the total number of young people employed under the initiative to 40,000.
“Our labour mobility programmes have absorbed 400,000 young people, and 320,000 more have jobs through affordable housing,” Ruto said.
“Climate WorX alone currently has 20,000, and we will double that next week. This is a real, tangible plan for empowering our youth," he added.
He challenged his political rivals to present credible alternatives, arguing that inciting youth into unrest is not a substitute for policy.
“We challenge our competitors to lay bare their plan for empowering the youth. The alternative to jobs cannot be incitement to cause havoc in the country,” the president added.
The president also underscored the broader vision behind the Nairobi River Regeneration Project, which he described as both an ecological mission and a social one.
“God willing, we will clean up Nairobi River until it’s clean enough to have fish,” he said.
The river cleanup initiative, now in its advanced stages, has already created 20,000 jobs.
The Nairobi River Valley was designated a Special Planning Area (SPA) earlier this year, marking the beginning of a two-year co-development process to create an Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
What other initiatives does Climate WorX programme bear?
The SPA, gazetted on March 6, 2025, is a key part of the government’s environmental recovery and urban development agenda under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act of 2019.
Covering a 60-metre buffer zone from Naivasha Road to Ruai, the project aims to reverse decades of pollution, illegal dumping, and uncoordinated construction along the river corridor.
Officials have clarified that the SPA is not a demolition order but rather a legal tool for coordinated development in complex zones requiring multi-stakeholder intervention.
The regeneration project focuses on environmental restoration, improved urban planning, and inclusive development to promote a cleaner and healthier capital.
Source: Twitter
Other development works Ruto has initiated in Nairobi
In other news, in his effort to revamp the capital, Ruto also launched a sweeping urban road construction and rehabilitation programme, beginning with 70 kilometres of city roads aimed at easing congestion and boosting commerce.
Recently, he officially opened the newly rehabilitated Bridge Savannah–Stage 17–Masimba Road, a key corridor linking Embakasi East and Embakasi Central — two of Nairobi’s most populous areas.
The road project, implemented by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) in partnership with the Nairobi City County Government, is expected to significantly improve traffic flow in Eastlands, an area long affected by gridlock and deteriorating infrastructure.
Expressing optimism on the viability of his projects, the president said: "These aren’t just roads — they’re enablers of opportunity,” adding that; “We are building a Nairobi where people can move faster, trade better, and live more comfortably.”
The president assured residents of continued investment in roads across informal settlements and underserved estates, promising that subsequent phases of the upgrade will prioritise access to schools, hospitals, and markets.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
