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Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja addresses the gathering during the official launch of the Nairobi City County Government Customer Service Center and handover of the City Hall Annex renovation project on December 14, 2023.
Nairobi City County’s flagship Green Army programme is under scrutiny following troubling allegations of sexual harassment, exploitative labour practices and poor working conditions affecting thousands of young people employed by the county.
Members of the Nairobi County Assembly (MCAs) raised the concerns during a sitting of the Assembly’s Labour Committee, painting a grim picture of a programme dogged by accusations of abuse and mismanagement.
The committee chaired by Dandora Area I MCA Allan Maina heard that several young workers under the programme have reported being subjected to sexual harassment by their supervisors, including demands for sexual favours in exchange for favourable performance appraisals and job security.
“The challenge we are having this year is that some of the young people working under this programme have come out to complain. Their supervisors harass them while on duty, with some asking for sexual favours. This does not sit well with the committee,” Mr Maina told the committee.
The allegations, raised by multiple ward representatives, point to systemic failures in supervision, reporting mechanisms and worker protection within the programme, which employs about 3,000 youths across the city.
Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Harambee MCA Antony Kimemia further criticised the county for what he described as punitive and irrational deployment of workers, saying some Green Army members had been transferred far from their home areas without regard to their low pay.
“These are people earning less than Sh20,000 a month and you are asking them to spend money on transport to far-off workstations. Is this fair? Why can’t they work within their own wards and localities,” Mr Kimemia said.
MCAs argued that the transfers not only impose financial strain on workers but also expose them to further exploitation, particularly young women who must commute long distances to unfamiliar areas.
The committee also heard that 55 Green Army workers earmarked for confirmation into permanent employment had not received confirmation letters from the County Public Service Board. County officials said the workers were rejected over issues such as habitual absenteeism, abscondment of duty, insubordination and persistent poor performance.
However, several MCAs questioned the integrity and fairness of the appraisal process, suggesting that the criteria may have been abused to victimise workers who resisted harassment or fell out with supervisors.
Uthiru MCA Peter Maina accused the county of punishing young people for circumstances beyond their control and failing to honour commitments made to them.
“It is sad that we have given these people jobs but we are not able to pay them properly or treat them with dignity,” he said. “Some have suffered victimisation. Those who failed to meet the demands of their supervisors were not recommended for permanent employment.”
The claims cast a shadow over assurances previously given by Governor Johnson Sakaja who last year announced that all 3,500 Green Army workers would be absorbed into the county workforce on permanent and pensionable terms.
The Green Army programme was launched as a centrepiece of Governor Sakaja’s environmental agenda, bringing together thousands of young people to clean streets, unclog drainage systems, rehabilitate rivers, plant trees and maintain public green spaces.
The headquarters of the Nairobi City County Government offices on City Hall Way.
The programme was also billed as a pathway out of joblessness for Nairobi’s youth, many of whom were previously engaged as casual labourers under the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
County officials say more than 2,400 workers are currently being transitioned to permanent employment, with the rest expected to follow in phases.
Appearing before the committee, the County Executive Committee Member for Green Nairobi Maureen Njeri acknowledged the complaints but said the county had taken steps to address them, including transferring supervisors accused of misconduct.
“We have tried to put in place measures to protect our staff and improve how we operate.Some supervisors have been moved to address issues of over-familiarity that contributed to these problems ,” Ms Njeri said
She added that the county had engaged the human resource department to increase its presence on the ground and improve monitoring of staff welfare.
“At some point, we discussed how HR can be on the ground more regularly to understand challenges and welfare issues and address them quickly,” she said.
Ms Njeri said workers had been sensitised on their right to report abuse and that cases of harassment had reduced, though she did not provide figures to back the claim.
A Nairobi County Council Pick-Up vehicle loaded with hawkers merchandise parked along Kenyatta Avenue.
“All staff are aware that if they feel abused in any manner, they are required by law to report. We are trying to do better monitoring, and I can say the cases have reduced,” she told the committee.
However, MCAs remained unconvinced, insisting that without transparent reporting mechanisms, independent oversight and protection for whistleblowers, vulnerable workers would continue to suffer in silence.
The Labour Committee is expected to compile a report with recommendations on how the county should address the allegations, including reforms to supervision, deployment, appraisal systems and worker protection policies.
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