The National Youth Service (NYS) is set to embark on commercial activities once fresh cabinet reforms are completed, according to Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Justin Muturi.
This is among the measures government is pursuing to ease the budgetary pressures, alongside mergers and dissolution of state parastatals.
CS Muturi said the reforms are aimed at streamlining operations within the NYS, enabling it to engage in income-generating ventures.
Proposed revenue-generating ventures include construction services, security provision, and agribusiness.
“We have potential, to do a lot of work, a lot of commercial activities, including, as we indicated in my presentation, commercialising service delivery and security services,” said Muturi.
The CS assured Parliament that once the commercialisation plan is fully approved, the institution would be in a position to reduce its reliance on the Exchequer.
In the commercialisation plan the entity will make independent decision, and is already in the procurement stage for some of its commercial enterprises
“We were to get Sh500 million for the commercial activities, however, we got Sh250 million from Exchequer, and the 250 million, Chair, we directed to some commercial activities, one, masonry plant, and water-proofing plant, already we are doing the procurement process, and in the next few weeks we’ll get those plants. So we are fully utilised,” aid
However, in his submissions to the National Assembly Social Protection Committee, financial constraints pose a significant challenge to the realisation of these plans.
The Budget Policy Statement for the 2025-2026 financial year reveals a deficit of Sh15 billion, which is expected to impact the implementation of key policy programs and projects.
This shortfall he noted could hinder the service’s ability to achieve its performance targets, including the recruitment and training of 30,000 new service members who require international service and technical and vocational training.
Over the past years, the NYS development budget has been significantly reduced, with a complete lack of allocation for the current financial year.
This has adversely affected the service’s ability to expand its training capacity and maintain existing infrastructure, including barracks, dining halls, classrooms, workshops, and sanitation systems, all of which remain in deplorable conditions.
In response, legislators urged the NYS to identify urgent areas requiring immediate funding, particularly for infrastructure upgrades, and to include them in the upcoming supplementary budget.
They also called for greater government commitment to ensuring that presidential directives are backed by adequate financial support to achieve their intended objectives.
