Kenya’s national urban climate response received a major boost on Friday as 25,000 youth were officially inducted into the Climate Worx Program at an event held at Uhuru Gardens.

The induction marks a major milestone in the government’s scale-up of efforts to address environmental degradation while creating green jobs and strengthening urban resilience.

The Climate Worx Program is a flagship initiative by the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, carried out in partnership with county governments, the Nairobi Rivers Commission, National Youth Service, civil society organisations and other actors.

The program targets challenges such as polluted rivers, poor solid waste management, and degraded public spaces, while offering thousands of young people meaningful employment.

“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, revitalizing neglected urban spaces, and building a greener, more inclusive future led by our youth," said Rtd. Brigadier Joseph Muracia, CEO of the Nairobi Rivers Commission.

The 25,000 inductees include youth, women, NYS graduates and members of community-based groups who were recruited over the past few months.

They will be deployed across a growing network of Climate Worx sites, particularly in densely populated informal settlements, urban riparian areas, and flood-prone zones.

Previous phases of the initiative have led to visible transformation in areas such as Kibra, Dandora and Lucky Summer. At these sites, workers have been involved in decontaminating riverbanks, improving drainage systems, upgrading sanitation and regenerating public spaces.

One of the main focus areas of the program is the 27-kilometre Nairobi River corridor, where both sides of the riverbank are undergoing rehabilitation under a Special Planning Area framework that was gazetted in March 2025.

The Climate Worx model is built around three core areas of impact. Environmentally, it aims to restore urban ecosystems, clean water bodies and improve waste management. Economically, it provides paid work, skill-building and pathways for enterprise development. Socially, it promotes inclusive participation, better health outcomes and the development of safe, vibrant spaces for communities.

With the new workforce in place, the program is entering a new phase of scale and visibility. Workers will soon begin activities in newly identified sites, supported by partners in community organisations, urban development, and other sector teams.

Speakers at the Uhuru Gardens event stressed the importance of long-term planning and investment. They reaffirmed that continued support through training, infrastructure and coordination is key to sustaining and growing the progress already achieved.

The government considers Climate Worx a key model for delivering urban transformation, climate resilience and youth employment together, proving that development, adaptation and livelihoods can move hand in hand.