The National Youth Service is ready to transform Kenya Medical Supplies Agency to the required standards, director general Matilda Sakwa has said.
Sakwa said on Saturday she was sure the NYS going to Kemsa would be a game-changer.
“We will transfer knowledge of effective and strong structures to restructure it within 30 days,” he said.
Sakwa spoke during the NYS inter-regional championship finals at the Yatta unit in Machakos. The government’s decision to involve NYS in restructuring Kemsa didn’t mean that it was taking over from the agency, she said.
“NYS is supporting Kemsa, just the same way we have been supporting other departments in government. NYS basically is there to support any department that needs vital support, and when we were approached and told to go support Kemsa, it wasn’t a surprise,” Sakwa said.
“This is because we have continuously supported, for example, the Ministry of Lands, Immigration, even the police themselves in crowd control, and during national exams. We have continuously supported the police and KDF. NYS supported Kenya Railways to ensure there was a railway line.
"I don’t know where that notion is coming from, that NYS has taken over Kemsa. Kemsa remains Kemsa, NYS is there to support some of the talents that they wanted in ensuring that capacity was built within Kemsa to get the best from whatever programmes and projects they are involved in.”
She says NYS is known for discipline and that’s what attracted the government.
“I have seen many people, naysayers questioning why NYS was approached to support Kemsa since at one point the institution was known to have some corruption cases. NYS isn’t corrupt, it is individuals who are corrupt," she said.
"And when we are saying that NYS is corrupt and, therefore, can’t be part and parcel of restructuring Kemsa, I think you are very wrong because people we are taking to Kemsa are the young men and women, servicemen (and women) and at no time have we seen NYS stealing from itself. The people stealing from NYS are individuals, so to say, and you can’t blame the service for the wrongs.”
She said an individual isn’t an organisation and can be removed to allow an organisation to run smoothly. Sakwa termed it unfair for NYS to be dismissed as corrupt all the time, saying no corruption case has been reported at the service for the three years she has been at the helm.
“It’s because we are working together, putting structures and the structures in NYS were not put by the service itself. So, it’s good to always understand that while blaming an institution, you are also killing the morale of the staff, servicemen (and women). This is where young men and women come to nurture [their talent],” Sakwa said.
“We are excited that we are part and parcel of the team identified to be part of restructuring Kemsa, we are going to do it. Our background is discipline and that discipline we are going to portray as we do whatever the government wants us to do in Kemsa.”
She said some of the assignments the NYS will be charged with at the medical agency included logistics, driving, warehousing, providing security and managing its secretariat.
"Kemsa senior management is there and will give guidance on what NYS will do.”
The athletics and football competitions brought together 22 youth service units from five regions—Nairobi, Rift Valley, Coast, Eastern and Western.
Sakwa noted great talents among the servicemen and women. She said the service would support talented youths by linking them with relevant organisations to help them benefit.
The competitions will be held annually to ensure to nurture and support youth talent.
The western region won the Men field events as Eastern secured first runners-up. Rift Valley won the women's field events.
In athletics, Rift Valley emerged winners, while Nairobi secured first runners-up, followed by the Eastern region. Nairobi region was awarded the most disciplined team.
