NYS rebirth begins before dust settles on grand theft

National Youth Service (NYS) recruits takes the oath of allegiance at a past parade in Gilgil. (File, Standard)

The scandal-prone National Youth Service (NYS) is poised for yet another restructuring after being looted dry through multi-billion shilling scams in quick succession.

The restructuring comes at a time the institution is smarting from theft of billions from its coffers by Government officials and traders. The restructuring involves formulating a new Bill aimed at sealing loopholes which have been exploited to steal taxpayers’ money.

The National Youth Service Bill, 2018, is the work of a multi-agency task force formed on August 23, this year.

“The draft bill has been presented to Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs Cabinet Secretary and to head of Public Service,” reads a document seen by Sunday Standard.

A Cabinet memorandum gave strict timelines for its implementation.

If the proposed reforms are embraced and the Bill passed, NYS will be transformed into a corporate entity although its current finance and supply chain management systems would change and strict controls put in place to enhance efficiency.

It will also witness a review of its budgetary processes and tightening of its accountability and monitoring systems as well as internal audits.

Other highlights of the proposed law are the creation of an oversight body, reforms in procurement and finance as well as accommodation of civilian personnel in specific professional areas.

At the same time, some of the 30,000 NYS recruits being trained annually would be dispatched to support Kenya Defence Forces in times of war, insurrection or hostilities in or out of the country.

“Any part of the service (NYS)... serving with Kenya Defence Forces or otherwise in defence of the nation whether within or without Kenya, such part of the service shall for all purposes be deemed to be part of Kenya Defence Forces,” reads sections of the draft Bill.

Special officers

Further, the Bill allows the Inspector General of Police to appoint members of NYS  as special police officers for specified periods where they will work guided by  the provisions of the National Police Service Act.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia (left) has said the establishment of a council to oversee the running of NYS will improve governance and oversight and introduce accountability in the institution.

“The Bill is on the website for public participation. The Bill will strengthen NYS   for better financial management and internal controls. NYS remains one of the vehicles for youth empowerment through skill development for national service. Today, with leadership changes, NYS is still stable and delivering on its core mandate,” said Ms Kobia. 

Public Service and Youth Principal Secretary, Francis Owino, said the restructuring could not be discussed casually and that public participation would start next weekend.

“We are having a retreat with the Parliamentary Committee on Labour next weekend in Kisumu. More details are expected as we commence public participation. We will have a series of meetings and receive views even from the media,” said Mr Owino

The rebirth of NYS was to start this weekend in Kisumu where the public and the legal team that drafted the Bill were to share their proposals with MPs.

However, the meeting has now been rescheduled for October 17-20 at the same venue.

After Kisumu, the legal team which comprises drafters from the Attorney General’s office and Kenya Law Reform, will be at Kenyatta International Convention Centre on October 23 and 24.

The team together with Senate’s Committee on Labour and Social Welfare will then retreat to Mombasa between October 28 and November 3, where the drafters will collate and draft the final NYS Bill, 2018.

To stem runaway corruption at the institution, the drafters propose a review of the ICT infrastructure and suggest that services be automated to make it possible for electronic procurement.

The Bill also calls for deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in all NYS processes and operations.

After auditing the systems of NYS, the multi-agency committee further proposed utilisation of ICT in vocational training, processes and operations.

The Bill further provides for the creation of Council of the National Youth Service which will offer oversight to the Director General.

The council will among other things be responsible for policy formulation, control, oversight and supervision of the service.

The Bill provides one position of a deputy Director General and proposes the positions of Senior Deputy Director General, Deputy Director, senior Assistant Director, Assistant Director, Senior Superintendent and Superintendent.

Other middle-level ranks proposed are Chief Inspector, Inspector and Cadet officer. The lowest cadre in the paramilitary unit will be a serviceman who is categorised as an Under Officer, while in the subordinate officers category, the lowest rank is  a Private and the topmost rank is  that of a Senior Sergeant Major.

According to the proposed law, NYS will be allowed to enter into partnership  with private entities or individuals in profit-making ventures and the surplus to be exempted from income tax.

This means NYS will have an opportunity to start a shoe-making factory which will be responsible for making boots for all the disciplined forces in the country.

To guard against misappropriation of funds,  the Bill proposes that the books of accounts be maintained in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act and audited as provided by the Constitution and the Public Audit Act.

Theft ripples

The NYS has been embroiled in controversies after Sh791 million was stolen four years ago, soon after it was rebranded. The ripples are still being felt.

Then Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru was forced out of office while her Principal Secretary, Peter Mangiti, NYS Director General, Nelson Githinji, entrepreneurs Ben Gethi and Josephine Kabura and others, were charged with theft of public funds, abuse of office and conspiracy to defraud the Government between December 2014 and April 2015.

The organisation is also reeling from yet another scandal after former Principal Secretary Lilian Omolo and more than 50 Government employees and traders were charged with stealing over Sh1 billion of taxpayers’ money.