The National Youth Service is working on a self-sustaining programme that will make it semi-autonomous and fund its own activities.
Director general Matilda Sakwa and chairman Mwaniki Njuki on Thursday said the service’s five-year strategic plan will ensure it revamps its services and generates own funds.
Currently, the service is struggling to maintain its activities and had to seek additional funds in the last six months.
The National Assembly Labour committee chaired by Bura MP Ali Wario bailed them out with an Sh5 billion boost from Treasury as they were instrumental in security.
Among the services that will benefit from the programme is the NYS commuter buses.
The bus service known as Okoa Abiria was launched in March last year to serve Nairobi city routes at lower fares of Sh20.
Sakwa on Thursday told the Wario-led committee the programme was unsustainable.
She said the buses have ferried 470,343 passengers and raked in Sh9.4 million.
However, the 27 buses were consuming Sh19.6 million a year.
“It is not feasible to continue with the programme unless we pump in an additional Sh10 million,” Sakwa said.
She spoke at the Tamarind Hotel in Mombasa.
She said currently, only 17 buses operate but challenges of insurance are also exacerbating the problem.
Njuki said the leadership structure of the service also needs to be revamped.
He said there has not been any new recruitment of leaders since 1992.
“Trainers of trainers have also not been recruited for the last 10 years. There are no proper structures. We have been working on the structure for the last four months,” he said.
The chairman said the service has more than 220,000 acres which have largely remained idle.
He said 85,000 acres between Samburu and Laikipia have remained idle.
“For the last six months, we have been working on our five-year strategic plan to correct most of these issues,” Njuki said.
Sakwa said the service has cleared Sh3.3 billion of the Sh3.5 billion pending bills.
The Sh243 million that remains has been forwarded to the Treasury.
Due to funding challenges, the service will by the end of this year recruit 10,000 youth less. “The budget that we have can only support 20,000,” Sakwa said.
NYS usually recruits 15,000 servicemen and women per half-year, but this year only 10,000 will be hired.
Edited by R.Wamochie
