Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates may soon get a chance to join the National Youth Service (NYS) as proposed by members of Parliament on Friday, March 24.
Members of the Departmental Committee on Social Protection met with officials from the NYS to discuss the institution's programs and how they can be adjusted to suit more Kenyans.
Vice-chairperson of the committee, Hillary Kosgey (MP Kipkelion West), was concerned over the current NYS entry grade of D in KCSE.
"You need to revise your qualifications requirements to allow even those with D- or even E join the service to acquire life skills,” noted Edith Nyenze(Kitui West).
However, NYS Director General Matilda Sakwa complained that candidates in the listed grade group may have difficulty fitting in.
"Those youth with lower grades like D- or E can be brought in but they can not fit in, in courses like engineering and ICT. Unfortunately, most of them up being drivers," she added.
Notably, in the 2022 KCSE, at least 198, 500 candidates scored both a D- and E while 155,480 scored a D, the minimum requirement to join NYS.
Sakwa also expressed plans to increase the number of youth recruited into the service from the current 20,000 per year to 40,000 and eventually 100,000 every year beginning 2023 with the aim of increasing female recruits.
On the other hand, NYS complained over Ksh5.4 billion pending bills urging the committee to consider increasing their budget.
"The service requires at least Ksh50 billion in the next financial year to implement its project against an allocation of Ksh11 billion. I assure you that all the NYS programs are in line with Vision 2030," she emphasised.
Some of the projects the Service is undertaking include planting 3 billion seedlings by recruiting 391 Kenyans from all constituencies and liaising with the Ministry of Water to help build dams and water pans and the Ministry of Housing to construct affordable housing.
The DG also disclosed plans to work with the Ministry of Sports to develop a talent centre to nurture sportsmen and sportswomen for the NYS.
President William Ruto, on March 3, promised to double the number of NYS recruits from 2023.
While gracing the NYS's 86th passing out parade in Gilgil, Ruto assured that the Youth Service will recruit 20,000 every intake. This is 10,000 more than the NYS receives at each recruitment drive.
"Our definition and understanding of development must have the active contribution of an overwhelming majority of youth as its foundational principle and the inspiring profile of this cohort attests to this," he explained.
