Youth enrollment in the National Youth Service is set to increase fivefold over the next few years, according to Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Geoffrey Ruku.
Ruku spoke on Monday, April 28, during a tour at NYS Yatta Field Unit in Machakos County, where he revealed the government's plans to increase the number of National Youth Service (NYS) recruits fivefold—from the current 20,000 to 100,000.
According to Ruku, this was part of the government's broader strategy to boost service delivery and promote self-reliance.
"We have many young people across Kenya, and the government is committed to increasing the number of recruits from 20,000 to 100,000 by 2027/2028," Ruku said during the impromptu visit in Machakos.
In a bid to make the NYS more self-reliant, Ruku also called for the commercialisation of NYS activities, with a special focus on agriculture.
"The commercialisation process has started to ensure we have a commercial wing of the NYS so this body can be self-sufficient and rely on itself," he added.
Ruku also called on Kenyans interested in agriculture to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the NYS initiative, particularly the availability of avocado seedlings for sale.
“I’m calling upon Kenyans interested in avocado farming to come buy this ash avocado,” he urged, highlighting the potential of the agricultural sector to boost the economy and create jobs for young people.
Additionally, the CS appealed to the National Assembly to expedite amendments to the NYS bill to streamline the legal framework to pave the way for the commercialisation of the NYS.
Ruku's appeal comes amid a raging debate on the sustainability of the NYS, as there are growing concerns over the rising costs of maintaining sections of government institutions.
Lawmakers in particular have been vocal about the need for the government to implement recommendations to restructure and commercialise entities which have the potential and capacity to stand on their own. The NYS fits this bill perfectly.
Last year, the Treasury embarked on a viability assessment of 288 state corporations with the aim of identifying entities suitable for mergers, restructuring, privatisation or dissolution altogether.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has also noted in the recent past that only about per cent of the 79 commercial state agencies pay dividends to the government, warning that entities which failed to show profitability ran the risk of getting privatised.
