More than 200 National Youth officers deployed to repair roads

A senior National Youth Service Officer Ms Ruth Mbuvi (second from left  in jungle uniform), leaving the Kianyaga Youth Empowerment Center in Kirinyaga East Sub-County after identifiying the site where some  270 Servicemen will pitch camp as they embark on massive repair of all the area earth roads most of which are inaccesible due to the ongoing heavy rains. On her imediate right is the Gichugu MP Njogu Barua who was in hand to welcome the project yesterday accompanied by other stakeholders.(PHOTO:MUNENE KAMAU /STANDARD)

The Ministry of Devolution has deployed 270 servicemen from the National Youth Service (NYS) to carry out urgent repair work in areas within the county that have dilapidated roads.

Repairs are expected to commence immediately following yesterday's visit to the county by senior NYS Official Ruth Mbuvi.

Ms Mbuvi said 135 servicemen will pitch camp at Kianyaga Youth Empowerment Centre, where they will be operating from for the next two months, while a similar number will be based at Wang'uru market in Mwea East sub-county.

"Since we have identified the two sites where our servicemen will be operating from, it is now upon the respective MPs to determine how recruitment of 3,700 youths from Gichugu and Mwea constituencies, who will be providing manual labour, will be done," she said.

Mbuvi said once hired, the youth will be operating in agroups of ten, under the supervision of one serviceman, to work on a given road adding that casual employees will receive a daily stipend of Sh471.

"Each of the youths will receive their pay on a weekly basis. They will take home Sh330 every day and we will retain Sh41, which we save for them until completion of the programme, when we will release the savings to each one," she said.

Mbuvi said these savings earning from the programme should enable the youths venture into income generating projects and improve their livelihoods.

The NYS official was speaking at Kiirinyaga East sub-county after touring the site where the service men will be located.

She was accompanied by Gichugu MP Njogu Barua, among other officials, who hailed the Government for the initiative.

Mr Barua said since most of the area roads are impassable, youths who also come from the constituency will be committed to ensuring their workmanship is of the highest quality.

Other than the youths, some 50 women have also been identified to make meals for the servicemen at the two sites.

"These women will now be fully engaged until the programme is completed and am sure what they will have earned will uplift them to another economic level," said the MP.

This move to work on the region's roads is expected to make it easier for farmers to transport their agricultural produce to markets in the area that is economically dependent on agriculture.