RUTO TO DOUBLE NAIROBI YOUTH IN CLIMATE WORX PROGRAM TO 40,000

President William Ruto has announced that his government will double the number of young people engaged in the Climate WorX Programme in Nairobi County, raising the figure from 20,000 to 40,000 by Monday, July 21, 2025.
Speaking during a visit to Soweto in Nairobi, the President said the expansion is part of a broader strategy to address youth unemployment through climate-focused public works and urban renewal.
“Currently, I have at least 20,000 youth working in the Climate WorX initiative, but on Monday I will double the number to 40,000,” said Ruto, addressing local residents and youth groups.
The Climate WorX Programme, officially launched in September 2024, has become a cornerstone of Ruto's environmental and employment agenda. Youth involved in the initiative are tasked with duties such as garbage collection, street cleaning, greening of public spaces, and maintenance of stormwater drainage. Each participant receives a daily stipend of KSh 500.
This Nairobi-specific expansion complements an earlier announcement by the President in June, in which he pledged to deploy 110,000 youth to the Climate WorX programme across all 47 counties beginning July 1, 2025, as part of the national rollout.
Ruto’s renewed commitment also comes on the same day he addressed the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) at the United Nations complex in Gigiri. There, he called on the international community to invest more resources in climate action and urged African governments to integrate climate response into all development agendas.
“Climate change is not a side issue. It is the biggest threat to our survival, and we must embed climate action into every sector,” the President said.
The national government has projected that the Climate WorX Programme will eventually absorb 200,000 youth by the end of 2026.
With the latest pledge to double Nairobi’s cohort, the government signals a stronger push toward climate resilience and inclusive job creation amid a struggling economy and rising cost of living.