Cabinet approves major reforms for graft-ridden NYS

National Youth Service recruits march at a past event. The Cabinet on August 14, 2018 approved proposed far-reaching reforms to the graft-ridden NYS that may see it turned into a company with its own assets, and the obligation to make its own money. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier in the day set the tone for the new NYS going forward.
  • He had asked new Youth Principal Secretary Francis Otieno Owino to lead the clean-up of the agency.

The Cabinet has approved proposed far-reaching reforms to the graft-ridden National Youth Service (NYS) that may see it turned into a company with its own assets, and the obligation to make its own money.

In its third meeting this year held on Tuesday, the Cabinet said that the NYS — now in the storm of graft allegations, and its director-general Richard Ndubai, former Youth principal secretary Lilian Omollo, and other officials of the agency suspended — be reformed to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.

“Key among the raft of proposed restructuring measures of the NYS are the establishment of an oversight board which will effectively make the organisation a body corporate with a director-general as the chief executive officer,” State House said in a statement after the meeting.

President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier in the day set the tone for the new NYS going forward, asking new Youth Principal Secretary Francis Otieno Owino to lead the clean-up of the agency.

“The time is gone when you said: ‘I did because someone made a phone call to me. Mr Owino, with you there, we hope we are going to change the organisation that has changed the lives of young people. It has had challenges, and it is your job to clean it out,” President Kenyatta said at State House when Mr Otieno was sworn in alongside Transport Principal Secretary Esther Koimett.

Besides changing the NYS to a body corporate, the Cabinet also approved the proposed a clean-up of the supply chain management function as well as budgetary and internal audit reforms among other measures.

The Cabinet also approved the revival of the Kenya National Shipping Line “which will involve giving the company the sole mandate to handle