Ministry revamps NYS to restore public confidence

President Uhuru Kenyatta congratulates National Youth Service recruits after officiating a pass-out parade at NYS College in Gilgil, Nakuru, on April 21, 2016. The Jubilee administration is also keen on assuring Parliament that funds released to it would not be embezzled but go towards helping the youth. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Other measures include a biometric registration of the 76,000 youth engaged in community programmes undertaken in order to safeguard and better account for public resources.
  • She said that the ministry has reviewed all the training programmes to address emerging challenges that affect the youth.

All National Youth Service programmes and resources have been restructured and rationalised for improved service delivery, Public Service, Youth and Gender Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki has said.

Ms Kariuki said her ministry has undertaken measures to restore confidence in the service — including strengthening financial management, procurement and inventory management systems to enhance accountability and transparency in the utilisation of taxpayers’ funds.

Other measures include a biometric registration of the 76,000 youth engaged in community programmes undertaken in order to safeguard and better account for public resources.

“These measures have put the National Youth Service in a strengthened position to address some of the emergent challenges and it is expected to grow into a premier institution that has the confidence and trust of young people and the general public,” the CS said at the passing-out parade of 9,031 recruits on Thursday at NYS College in Gilgil, Nakuru.

The measures are meant to restore confidence in the service following the Sh791 million corruption scandal.

According to the CS, the NYS youth empowerment programme has attracted the greatest national interest.

She said that the ministry has reviewed all the training programmes to address emerging challenges that affect the youth, including the declining numbers of skilled workers such as welders, electricians and plumbers.

“This will establish NYS as a national institution of excellence to train specialised skilled workers to diploma level and possibly even higher levels in the future,” she stated.