A lot of people are completely flummoxed by Raila Odinga's opposition to the National Youth Service. Many cannot understand why such a distinguished political personality would zero in on such a small institution with such viciousness. Let me try and shed some light on what is happening.
A quick look at the NYS website shows what the institution is doing in slum areas. NYS is working in six low-income settlements — Kibera, Mathare, Korogocho and Mukuru Kwa Njenga in Nairobi; Kiandutu in Kiambu; and Nyalenda in Kisumu. In each settlement close to 4,000 youth have been engaged in various development projects. NYS intends to construct 228 ablution blocks and connect them to 17.5km of sewer lines; build 38 model houses and posho mills; and set up 304 fish tanks. NYS also intends to fabricate and set up of 38 Beyond Zero health clinics, 38 police posts and establish 85,014 urban agriculture sacks across the settlements. NYS will also construct 13.44km of access roads and light them up with 52 high mast security floodlights equipped with 400 watt LED lights.
One struggles to understand why Raila, a man who has presented himself as the champion of the poor, would have a problem with an institution that is doing so much to alleviate poverty. It is even more confusing when one considers that he tried to do the same under the ‘Kazi Kwa Vijana’ programme, which, unfortunately, collapsed under a cloud of corruption allegations. Could Raila’s problem with NYS have anything to do with what the service has done in Kibera?
Kibera is a world-reknown slum and the core vote-block of Kibra constituency where Raila was MP for 15 years, including the five during which he was Prime Minister. During his 15-year tenure, the constituency had no noticeable development. Not even Kazi Kwa Vijana was able to do much for the poor in Kibera. In fact during the period Kibera was where slum tourists, international celebrities and political leaders went to see what poverty looks like. High-profile visitors would be accompanied by the area MP.
In less than two years, NYS has radically changed the landscape of the slum. It has put up 96 ablution blocks so 'flying toilets' are now a thing of the past. NYS has put up nine police posts so gangs can no longer roam at will or instigate political violence around Nairobi at the drop of a hat. It has set up nine Beyond Zero clinics to reduce maternal deaths. NYS has set up 13,000 urban agriculture sukumawiki sacks, nine posho mills and 72 fish tanks to increase food production. It has laid nearly 4km of road to bitumen standards and lit them up with electricity to enhance security and allow people to work late. Regular spraying has reduced malaria cases significantly. Most importantly, young people from Kibera have saved over Sh45 million!
Is Raila struggling with the public's comparisons of what NYS has achieved in Kibera in two years, as contrasted to what he achieved in his 15 years there as MP? Has NYS shown that one does not need a miracle to enhance people’s living standards? Are people asking what could have been done in Kibera had Raila strategically invested his CDF? Is Raila scared people will realise that the poverty infrastructure in Kibera would have changed if he had been a better leader? Is Raila blaming NYS for creating a situation where his development credentials are being questioned? I believe so.
Raila cannot imagine a situation where Jubilee showcases successful projects in Kibera in the run-up to the 2017 general election. Such a situation would completely destroy his claims that he can develop Kenya better than Uhuru Kenyatta. It would show that Kenya is a better place under Uhuru. This is what Raila must stop from happening. He must therefore destroy NYS. How to do it? Present it as a corruption scandal then get it legislated out of existence.
The game is already in play. ODM has latched onto an on-going investigation for fraud at the NYS and 'spun' it around into a corruption scandal against the CS for Devolution — the same person who called for the investigation. I suspect her sin is running a programme that shows ‘Baba’ in such bad light. Meanwhile Paul Mwangi, chairman of the moribund Okoa Kenya, has now introduced a public discussion on the 'unconstitutionality' of the NYS. The ducks are all in a row. Raila just hopes that we will all get stuck in analysing all the heat he is raising around the NYS issue that no one will notice that there is actually no light to justify his fight against the NYS.
As usual, the media has fallen prey to his propaganda.
Ngunjiri is a director of Change Associates, a political consultancy.