Public Service and Human Capital Development Cabinet Secretary (CS), Justin Muturi, has underscored the need to fast-track the commercialisation of the National Youth Service (NYS) to make it self-sustaining.
Muturi, who spoke during a tour of the NYS Turbo Field Unit in Lugari Sub County, said it is only through commercialisation that the institution can achieve President William Ruto’s vision of training 100,000 servicemen and women annually.
He said, “We have instructions from the President to ensure that the various activities the NYS is undertaking across its numerous field units are commercialised. As a ministry, we are working day and night to ensure that is realised so that the great potential in NYS, like the water purification plant in the Turbo Field Unit, is realised. We must expedite the process”.
“Already there is a letter on the issue of commercialisation in my office, and I am working on it. I must bring together ourselves and the Treasury to understand why it is necessary to have the commercial entity of NYS registered in the manner and the design his Excellency the President conceives and perceives,” he added.
The CS noted that an empowered NYS in the long run will be self-sustaining and able to withstand the budgetary challenges resulting from overreliance on state coffers.
Muturi commended the NYS recruits for their exemplary behaviour, urging them to uphold the values they acquire from the training.
He reminded them of the need to embrace the national values and principles of governance enshrined in Article 10 of the Kenyan Constitution.
He stated, “One of those values is patriotism, which is an extremely important value that runs through many chapters of our constitution. I know what is taught and inculcated within NYS. It is very important for the survival of our country—a united country.
“My happiness is that this spreads across the whole country because the servicemen and women being trained come from all corners of the republic,” he added.
He reminded the recruits that the President is committed to transforming the NYS for their own benefit, including their absorption into the disciplined forces rather than training them and letting them go to waste.
The NYS Deputy Director General, Jamlick Chabari, lauded CS Muturi for his efforts in ensuring the training institution is transformed.
He said the NYS is a brand, and they are ready to collaborate with other government organisations to ensure efficient service delivery to the public like they are doing with Huduma Kenya.
Huduma Kenya Program CEO Benjamin Chilumo said Huduma Kenya and NYS are like “sisters” because of their great partnership.
“Our partnership is great. Our position as Huduma Kenya is that we shall continue partnering with you as NYS. Currently we have over 150 NYS officers working within Huduma centres.
“We shall continue collaborating, and already we are discussing further avenues of collaboration where we want the NYS to give us some pieces of land so that as Huduma Kenya we can adopt, plant, and grow trees, “he said.
Chilumo said their partnership with NYS is not for anything but rather for mutual benefit for the growth of Huduma and public service.
He encouraged the servicemen and women to work hard and not allow their youthfulness to go to waste.
Also present during CS Muturi’s visit to the Turbo field unit were the NYS Western Zone Commander Enock Nyandege, who is also in charge of the unit; Lugari Deputy County Commissioner Simon Mutai; Lugari Assistant County Commissioner Christine Cheboi and her Lumakanda counterpart Wambua Mbinya; and Lugari Police Commander Julius Melly and his Administration Police counterpart John Mulei.
During the visit, the Cabinet Secretary launched the planting of 10,000 trees at the field unit.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait
