No more scandals – NYS Director General petitions Parliament for additional funding
National Youth Service (NYS) Director General Matilda Sakwa has faulted Parliament for starving NYS to an extent of crippling its activities Country-wide.
Speaking while inspecting NYS camp at Kakoth, Ugunja Sub-County, Sakwa lashed out at the budget cuts which she said are hampering the running of NYS.
“It’s so unfortunate that Parliamentarians are still using the past scandals that engulfed NYS to deny us finding yet the institution is under new leadership,” Sakwa said.
She added that Parliament still doubts the capacity of NYS to prudently manage allocated resources.
“It is sad that past scandals still haunts the ministry to an extent of ruining reputation of youths undertaking programs offered by NYS,” Sakwa said adding that past mistakes have cost the service a lot in terms of budgetary allocations but I am confident that we are slowly changing that with the new leadership at the helm,” Sakwa said.
Sakwa asked the MPs to see NYS not as a scandal unit but one which transforms the lives of our youths.
“I want to appeal to our media to deviate from reporting past scandals and instead tell positive and nice programs offered by NYS. The institution is not about scandals, procurement or corruption but other nice things too, the scandal was a small part and terrible part which we do not want to repeat,” Sakwa said.
She called on MPs to work closely with her outfit to expand its wings country-wide.
“I want to thank Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi for making sure we have a camp in Ugunja as that will see us expand our wings,” Sakwa said, adding that instead of other MPs requesting for camps in their constituencies they only for request for tractors, bull-dozers and other machinery.
At the same time, Sakwa called on parents to enroll their children to the service saying that after completion of their programs, the government will sponsor them to undertake technical and vocational training that will set them out on different career paths.
“I want to urge parents to enroll their children in NYS so that they can gain skills which will sustain them in future. Once they are in the camp for one year, they undergo character development and would be a disciplined officers,” Sakwa said.
Wandayi lauded DG for transforming NYS in a short span to an extent of winning the trust and confidence of the public.
“The NYS that was inherited by Sakwa was engulfed by lots of scandals but I am proud to note that in the short span she has been in office, a lot of transformation has happened and we hope it continues to grow and thrives for the benefit of this country,” Wandayi said.
The area MP vowed to introduce a motion that would make it mandatory for any Kenyan youth attaining 18 years to undergo NYS training.
The MP said there was a need to expand the NYS and increase its capacity and budget to enable the service to adequately play its role in the society.
“The government needs to introduce the policy of youths being allowed to join NYS before they engage in other productive activities,” Wandayi said.
“Initially University students would go and undertake an NYS course before joining the university but the policy was stopped,” the MP said adding that he will re-introduce it in Parliament once sessions resume.
“The policy will not only instil discipline in them but also bequeath them with skills that would make them useful members of the society,” he added.
“As we speak, it is still a sleeping giant. It needs to be revamped through resources and capacity enhancement so that it can continue to support our youth and society in general,” Wandayi said.
