The National Youth Service (NYS) finally held the long-awaited pass out parade for 9,031 recruits on Thursday.
During the ceremony, President Uhuru Kenyatta stated that corruption allegations and occurrences in the service will not stop the government from carrying on with the programme.
After months of delay occasioned by alleged corruption scandals that rocked the institution over a period of one year, the recruits under the NYS youth empowerment programme took an oath of service in a colourful ceremony presided over by the Head of State at the institution’s college in Gilgil.
It was, however, a low-keyed ceremony compared to past events. This low morale, may have been attributed to the negative publicity the institution has had in the last one year.
President Kenyatta pledged the government’s support to the service stating that it was a pillar of hope in the empowerment of the youth.
“For as long as I am President, we will support the National Youth Service, and we will invest in the youth. For those who need a reason: the bright faces of these thousands of young people graduating today are your answer,” the President said.
The Head of State, who was accompanied by his deputy William Ruto, did not shy away from the troubles that faced the institution.
“In the last year, clouds have loomed over the service, and over the nation’s youth. Yet today, I look out at out bright young people, and I am encouraged…,” he said.
So far, the NYS has mentored over 76,000 youths. The number of recruits has been high following the increased intake from the traditional 4,211, with the government stating that this has had a great impact on the national service and volunteer programmes.
The programme encompasses paramilitary training and service regimentation, national service and youth re-socialisation, social transformation and vocational training, enterprise and youth economy and bankable institutional architecture.
The passing-out parade, the second since the 2014 re-engineering of NYS came as a relief to the service with the Director General Dr Richard Ndubai saying it was of special significance to the NYS family given the stresses the institution has faced over the last one year.
He indicated that the happenings had affected the morale of the service and the graduation was an inspiration.
The Head of State said corruption claims and occurrences in the service will not stop the government from using it to empower the youths.
“No individual can steal Kenya’s future. Yet this will not stop some from trying. But the rogue elements who try to subvert the dreams of our youth, and the future of our country, will always be overcome by our resilience,” he stated.
“They will always be overcome by youth who choose the path of hard work and hope, over the easy path of corruption and sloth. Such youth can always count on my Government’s support. They can rest assured that their leadership stands with them,” said the president.
He expressed confidence that the change of leadership both at the institution and the parent Ministry will help restore public confidence in the service.
“We will not quit on an initiative that is changing the fortunes of so many Kenyan youth,” he declared.
Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Youth and Gender Ms Sicily Kariuki said the NYS youth empowerment programme has attracted the greatest national interest.
In a bid to restore confidence in the service following the Sh 791 million corruption scandal, the CS said several measures have been undertaken, among them them strengthening financial management, procurement and inventory management systems to enhance accountability and transparency in the expenditure of taxpayers’ funds.
She said all NYS programmes and resources have also been restructured and rationalised for improved service delivery and a biometric registration of the 76,000 youths 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,” she said.
Deputy President Ruto said NYS has gone through a lot of transformation over the years in terms of youth empowerment.
"I am confident that going forward this transformation that NYS has brought to youth empowerment in Kenya will benefit thousands more waiting for an opportunity to join the service,” he said.
Thursday's graduands will replace servicemen and women who passed out a year ago, who will now join our vocational training institutions for studies leading to the award of artisan, craft and diploma certificates upon completion of their courses.
The total number of those who have graduated under the new NYS now stands at 26,370 and is envisaged to grow by 21,870 annually to 60,000 by 2018.
