President Ruto orders 80% of police recruits be picked from NYS

President William Ruto has directed that National Youth Service (NYS) trainees be given priority during the countrywide police and military recruitments.

Delivering his first State of the Nation Address since assuming office, the President said from next year recruitment to the NYS will be doubled to 40,000 in a move aimed at expanding job opportunities for the youth.

He added that every "village, centre, town and city" in the country must be represented in the enhanced recruitment.

With the expanded enrolment to the NYS, the Head of State instructed that 80% of future recruits to all national security agencies and services in the country will be from the National Youth Service.

"In order to entrench our all-of-society coalition, we have resolved to enhance diversity and inclusion, by expanding enrollment into the National Youth Service (NYS) as an agency to capture young people at the bottom of the pyramid.

"Consequently, we are doubling enrolment to 40,000 in the Service from next year, and have made it absolutely mandatory that every village, centre, town and city in Kenya is properly represented in the recruitment," said Ruto.

He added: "To consolidate this proposition, we have directed that 80% of future recruits to all our national security services will be from among the well-trained, talented and committed young men and women who have undergone training at NYS."

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has welcomed the Head of State's directive stating that it would also help in saving the cost of training the security forces.

Kuria assured that NYS has enough capacity to accommodate and train the high number of recruits.

“I'm very happy on the pronouncement, particularly on the NYS which is under my ministry that 80% of anybody hoping to join the security forces has to come through the NYS. Tuko Tayari kufundisha,” said the CS.

Kuria added: “The good thing with it, is that when they come through NYS, even when we take them to Kiganjo Training College they will take a shorter time thus saving cost.”