Kilifi residents raise concern over exclusion from government project jobs

Kilifi County residents have raised concerns over what they describe as exclusion from employment and business opportunities arising from major government projects in the area.

The concerns were raised during a stakeholder forum in Kilifi town organized by the office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to discuss the benefits and impact of government projects in the county.

Anne Olubendi, an adviser on policy coordination and strategy in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, said residents had complained that local people were not being prioritised for job opportunities despite the implementation of 15 major government projects in the county.

She said residents had also raised concerns about missing out on supply contracts, with local businesses reportedly not getting opportunities to provide materials required for the projects.

Also Read: The government is investing over 10B in Blue Economy-Ruto

Olubendi acknowledged concerns about limited awareness of employment opportunities reserved for persons living with disabilities, saying the government prioritised inclusion.

She assured participants that the issues raised would be addressed to ensure communities benefited from projects implemented in their areas.

Musa Khamisi, a resident of Kilifi town, said unemployment remained a major challenge among young people despite government projects that he said had created about two million jobs nationally.

He questioned how recruitment for large-scale projects, including affordable housing, was conducted, arguing that the process was often not sufficiently publicised.

Khamisi said local residents consequently missed opportunities to apply for available positions and urged the government to give people living in project-hosting communities priority when recruiting workers.

The residents called for inclusion in the implementation of government programmes in the county.