NYS says Ksh.11B allocation in new fiscal year insufficient

The National Youth Service (NYS) has raised concerns that its Ksh.11.18 billion allocation in the 2025/26 financial year is insufficient to run its programs.

NYS’s 2025 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) by Commandant-General James Tembur shows the service has been allocated Ksh.11.18 billion in the new fiscal year beginning July, of which Ksh.10.06 billion is recurrent and Ksh.115 million development expenditure.

But the service, which was in 2019 transformed from a state department to a fully-fledged semi-autonomous state corporation, requires Ksh.26.48 billion, leading to a Ksh.15.3 billion deficit.

NYS says it will not meet the envisaged expenditures associated with increased recruit numbers it projects following President William Ruto’s 2023 directive that it increases annual intake from 10,000 to 100,000 youth.

Ruto at the time also urged NYS to become self-sustaining by the 2027/28 financial year

“Resource requirements for the service for the financial year 2025-2026 took into consideration the presidential directive to increase the youth intake that is to be implemented in a phased approach,” says the policy statement Pubic Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi presented before the National Assembly Social Protection Committee on Wednesday.

Muturi told lawmakers with the allocation, NYS won’t be able to recruit the 40,000 youth it plans to absorb in two cohorts.

“The Service has recruited 20,000 youth in the third quarter of 2024/2025 in line with the President's directive. It is worth noting that the budget for FY2024/2025 can only accommodate 10,000 youths,” the minister said.

NYS previously requested additional funding for 10,000 more recruits awaiting consideration and was allocated Ksh. 1 billion for food and rations. However, the new financial year allocation has slashed it by Ksh.500 million.

At the same time, NYS says it cannot meet its development needs like infrastructure improvement to accommodate and train recruits with the allocation.

Muturi said not having received any budget for development in the current fiscal year ending June “complicated the efforts of the Service in improving its already overstretched dilapidated facilities”

“Existing infrastructure and facilities including barracks, dining halls, classrooms, workshops, water and sanitation systems and security walls in all field units are in deplorable conditions, strained and remain inadequate,” the CS told Parliament.