MPs have decried the over Sh1 billion sunk into the youth empowerment centres (YECs) across the country that continue to remain non-operational three years after they were unveiled, as they demanded a status audit.
The members of the National Assembly Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) made the demand after Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu flagged some of the 156 youth centres across the country as seriously understaffed.
Ms Gathungu’s revelations are contained in her report before the National Assembly on the audited accounts of the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy for the fiscal year 2024/25.
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs appeared lost as PAC members questioned the rationale of continued sinking taxpayers' billions into ventures that have no value for money at a time Kenyans have been slapped with a punitive tax regime to finance government operations.
“You continue to build youth empowerment centres that have not been operationalised,” said Teso South MP Mary Emase, a member of PAC, adding, “What is the value for the taxpayers’ money?”
Rarieda MP Dr Otiende Amollo also questioned why the government keeps allocating money to the empowerment centres, while admitting that he is not aware whether one exists in his constituency.
“We need an audit into the status of these youth empowerment centres. Even in my own constituency, I don’t know where it is,” said Dr Amollo.
Rarieda MP and National Assembly Public Accounts Committee member Paul Otiende Amollo during a session at Bunge Tower in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo| Nation Media Group
According to PS Fikirini, the youth empowerment centres are Vision 2030 flagship projects that have different platforms, including ICT.
About 25 YECs have been operationalized by the Ministry of ICT to help in the internet penetration across the country.
“We lack substantive officers in charge of the centres, which takes us back to staffing because of a lack of enough budgetary allocations,” said PS Fikirini.
The audit on the accounts of the State Department shows that “most YECs are significantly understaffed, which adversely affects the coordination and delivery of services to the youth, especially where one officer is in charge of more than one youth empowerment centre.”
“According to the State Department, over 40 centres countrywide do not have substantive centre managers who are the sub-county youth development officers in charge of the areas where the youth empowerment centres are located,” the audit reads.
However, the PS noted that “the State Department acknowledges inadequate staffing as a challenge that has been hampering service delivery through the youth empowerment centres.”
“This is due to the natural attrition of the officers and the State Department is unable to recruit new Officers owing to the failure by the National Treasury to approve and appropriate the requisite funding for the recruitment of new staff at entry grades,” said PS Fikirini.
“We wish to state that the State Department has no budgetary allocation in the financial year 2026/7 to cater for staff recruitment,” the PS said, adding; “we seek the intervention of the committee to address this key challenge which is affecting service delivery to the citizens of this country.”
PAC is a House watchdog committee that has the mandate to examine accounts showing the appropriations of the sum voted by the House to meet public expenditure, along with any other accounts laid before the House that the committee deems necessary.
In the circumstances, the committee does not approve budgetary allocations.
Budgetary allocations are the preserve of the House departmental committees like the Sports and Culture, which oversees the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy.
The Chairperson of the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee and Butere MP Tindi Mwale (left) and Lugari MP and committee member Nabii Nabwera (right) during a session at Bunge Tower in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo| Nation Media Group
As the PS decried underfunding, Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera revealed that his own YEC is a “total shame, dilapidated and a building without anything.”
“The thing is just there and nonfunctional,” said Mr Nabwera, adding; “When Kenya Medical Training College wanted to use the facility as a lecture room,” the State Department refused.
