President Uhuru Kenyatta chaired a Cabinet meeting which approved the restructuring of the NYS to deal with serious managerial and operational challenges that have faced the organization.
Among the proposed changes was the establishment of an oversight board which will effectively make the NYS a body corporate with a Director General as the Chief Executive Officer.
The Cabinet also approved a clean-up of the organization supply chain management function and reforms in its budgetary and internal audit sections.
The Head of State added that, as the principal accounting officers in their respective dockets, the PSs hold the final responsibility for all activities and actions in their respective departments.
[caption caption="President Uhuru with DP Wiliam Ruto during a presser"]
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Speaking at State House Nairobi where he witnessed the swearing-in of both Dr Francis Otieno Owino and Esther Koimett who took over as the new PSs for Youth and Transport respectively, the President noted that NYS was never meant to be a spillway for enriching a few individuals but an initiative to empower millions of young Kenyans.
The Head of State directed the new PS to resolve all the financial and administrative problems at NYS that hinder it from fulfilling its mandate.
During the swearing-in ceremony also attended by Deputy President William Ruto, the Head of State reminded the newly appointed PSs that the oath of office and accountability pledge that they had taken and sworn was a personal commitment to integrity.
“We expect the highest degree of integrity and loyalty to the people,” President Kenyatta told the two PSs.
President Kenyatta declared that every government official must take full responsibility of their mandate adding that time was long gone when some top officers could abdicate their duties.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with the newly appointed Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs Dr Francis Otieno Owino "]
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The two PSs underwent vetting and approval by Parliament following their nomination by President Kenyatta in a recent reshuffle.
Dr Owino took over from Lillian Omollo who was sacked in the latest mini-reshuffle and appointments announced by the President.
The former Youth PS and 48 others were implicated in the loss of Sh468 million at the NYS.
