Youth service has a positive story to tell

Given the recent uproar over corruption at the National Youth Service, it is easy to forget the important role that the institution plays in Kenya’s economy.

Started on the eve of independence to rehabilitate youths caught up in the war of liberation, the service has become a key driver of the youth agenda in Kenya.

In 2015, the institution increased the number of recruits from 2,000 a year to 21,870.

This was timely. Every year, thousands of students sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, but only a few get places in tertiary level institutions, leaving the majority without hope.

According the ministry of Education data, 525,802 students sat the Form Four exam in 2015. Candidature will grow to a whooping 856,000 by 2020.

These many candidates present an enormous challenge to tertiary education as it cannot absorb all of these high school leavers.

The youth service is therefore instrumental in offering education to candidates who may not make it to tertiary education institutions.

Various courses are offered including enterprise and technology, fashion, hospitality, construction work, agribusiness, and engineering.

These skills prepare the youth for the job market while instilling values such as community service, discipline, diligence and a sense of national pride.

Through a presidential directive in 2013, President Kenyatta directed that 30 per cent of government procurement opportunities be set aside specifically for the youth, women and people living with disabilities.

The entrepreneurship goals resonate with US President Barak Obama’s speech delivered during the Kenya visit last year, during which he said: “Entrepreneurship means ownership and self-determination, as opposed to simply being dependent on somebody else for your livelihood and your future.” 

CREATING JOBS

Unemployment is a perennial problem that the Jubilee government pledged to fight by looking for innovative ways for creating jobs.

According to the Federation of Kenya Employers, young people account for more than 70 per cent of the national population, yet they account for a whopping 67 per cent of the country’s unemployed workforce.

The youth service has many opportunities for enriching the lives of the youth and boosting the country’s socio-economic status in line with Vision 2030 as well as the sustainable development goals.

Given that lack of gainful employment is often cited as a factor that drives youths into radicalisation, the institution is also a turning point in fighting radicalisation and organised crime.

Recruiting youth from all the 47 counties in Kenya, its work fosters the spirit of national cohesion.

Although service has been mired in claims of corruption, the investigations being carried out will certainly pinpoint the loopholes that were used to steal the funds. The sealing of such gaps will make it even better for tackling the challenges facing the country in relation to its youth.

The National Youth Service remains a great youth empowerment platform that needs strengthening. The reform clearly indicates that the Jubilee government recognises the boundless vigour, creativity and energy possessed by the youth demographic.

These attributes provide opportunities and threats in equal measure. The challenge is to channel these attributes to positive engagement, as mismanagement of the same could lead to catastrophic results such as crime, violence, moral decay and general lawlessness.

Mr Wafula is an expert on performance contracts. [email protected]