The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry has announced the recruitment of 4,000 youth on temporary contracts to support the 15 billion national tree growing and ecosystem restoration programme.
The ministry said on Sunday the 'Green Army' will be recruited through the Kenya Forest Service to provide tree-growing extension services and assist in the propagation of seedlings.
"To this end, the Service seeks to recruit 4,000 'Green Army' (unskilled Nursery Attendants) on Temporary Contract Terms to support the production of seedlings in KFS tree nurseries across the country," KFS said in the job advert.
The Service stated that the 'Green Army' recruits will be deployed to its 300 tree nurseries across the country on a one-year contract in the 2023-24 financial year renewable depending on satisfactory performance and availability of budget.
"The nursery attendant will be responsible for propagation and maintenance of seedlings in KFS tree nurseries and shall report to the nursery headman," KFS said.
The recruitment is aimed at accelerating the government's ambitious target of realizing 30 per cent tree cover by 2032 under the 15 billion Special Presidential Programme.
Successful applicants will be paid between Sh8,631 and Sh16,401 depending on workstations as categorised and determined by the Regulation of Wages and Conditions of Employment Act, KFS said.
Other benefits are National Health Insurance Fund and National Social Security Fund cover for the duration of the contract.
Interested applicants must be 18 years and above and must be residents of the target counties, subcounty and wards.
Applications must be made online via https://recruitment.kenyaforestservice.org latest on July 22.
Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said on Friday that the recruitment exercise will be transparent and priority will be given to locals.
Speaking during her two-day visit to Marsabit county, Tuya said the 'Green Army' brigades will be pivotal in the forest restoration plan and restore degraded forests to sustainable management of our trees.
She urged young people, individuals and organizations to cultivate the habit of planting more trees, especially in degraded areas to protect the environment.
"I encourage residents to plant fruit trees since it serves like trees and fruits," she said and warned that the government was not ready to lose an inch of land to people living along forests.
She advised residents adjacent to forests to form community forest associations to manage forest resources promising that more sustainable benefits would be enjoyed.