By Aoma Keziah,
The government has underscored its commitment to better public service delivery, youth empowerment, and environmental restoration, as activities marking Public Service Week and Mazingira Day take place across the country.
Speaking at the Harambee Annex in Nairobi, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the week-long engagements led by Cabinet and Principal Secretaries were part of a wider drive to translate the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) into tangible action.
“This week, our focus has been on excellence in service delivery and accountability. As we plant trees today, we also renew our pledge to serve Kenyans with dignity, fairness, and transparency,” he stated.
The government has been marking Customer Service Week alongside the Public Service Week, with officers across various ministries urged to uphold professionalism and integrity. Citizens have also been encouraged to report cases of corruption, inefficiency, or poor service to the Office of the Ombudsman.
In line with its job creation promise, Mwaura announced the rollout of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project, a joint initiative between the government and the World Bank. The programme is expected to benefit more than 820,000 young people in all 1,450 wards through on-the-job training, business start-up support, and recognition of prior learning.
“Youth applicants who qualify will receive a start-up grant of Ksh.50,000 along with mentorship and training. The project promotes gender balance and inclusion of young people living with disabilities. The application window closes on October 12, 2025,” he added.
As part of Mazingira Day 2025, Kenyans were called upon to take part in a nationwide tree-planting exercise under the theme “Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship.”
President William Ruto, Cabinet Secretaries, and other senior officials led tree planting activities in various regions. Every public primary school has been directed to plant at least 2,000 fruit trees through the #TurudiPrimo initiative, with seedlings supplied by the National Youth Service.
Since 2022, Kenya has planted over 1.06 billion trees, moving closer to the national goal of 15 billion trees and 30 percent forest cover by 2032.
The Government Spokesperson noted that the government’s prudent economic management has restored global investor confidence. He highlighted the successful raising of USD 1.5 billion from international markets, part of which was used to repay USD 1 billion of the 2028 Eurobond ahead of schedule.
“The oversubscription of our latest bond by five times shows the world’s confidence in Kenya’s economy. The move, has helped the country secure lower borrowing rates and create room for investments in education, health, and infrastructure,” Mwaura said.
He added that Kenya’s economy recorded five percent growth in the third quarter of the year, outperforming the global average.
Mwaura further revealed that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) achieved a record customs collection of Ksh.85.1 billion in September, the highest monthly figure in its history. The previous record stood at Ksh.82.5 billion in January 2025.
He attributed the improvement to strong performance in trade and petroleum taxes, saying it reflected a robust and expanding economy.
“As a government, we remain dedicated to fiscal discipline, better services, and opportunities that improve the lives of all Kenyans,” the government spokesperson concluded.
Mt Kenya Times