MPs question fate of annual NYS graduates

Members of Parliament have questioned the fate of approximately 18,000 young Kenyans who graduate from the National Youth Service (NYS) annually, calling on the Government to establish clear employment pathways for the trained youth.

Kitutu Chache MP Japheth Nyakundi said the country risked wasting public resources by training young people without ensuring they could put their skills to productive use.

“We have invested a lot of money as a country to train these youth, only for them to remain jobless after graduating from the NYS,” Nyakundi said.

He urged the Government to explore opportunities for absorbing the graduates into the private security industry, arguing that their training could provide a foundation for employment while strengthening security services.

The lawmaker was backing a motion by Kilifi County MP Gertrude Mbeyu seeking a policy framework to prioritise NYS graduates for employment as security officers in government institutions and private security firms.

The proposal seeks to address the apparent  disconnect between the Government’s investment in training young people and their absorption into the labour market, arguing that graduates possess skills that could be deployed to meet the country’s security needs while tackling youth unemployment.

Mbeyu noted that government ministries, departments and agencies continue to rely on private security companies to supplement security provided by uniformed officers, even as thousands of NYS graduates leave the service each year without a structured route into employment.

The Motion calls on the National Government to develop guidelines in line with Article 55 of the Constitution, which requires the State to take measures to ensure young people access relevant education and training, employment and opportunities to participate in national development.

It also proposes clear guidelines on recruitment, deployment, remuneration, additional training and career progression, alongside a framework defining the respective responsibilities of NYS graduates and private security firms.

The NYS has traditionally played a role in equipping young Kenyans with discipline, practical skills and a sense of public service.

However, the annual graduation of thousands of trainees presents a continuing challenge if the skills acquired are not matched with accessible employment opportunities.

Ol Kalou MP Sammy Douglas Waweru wants the country needed clear standards for security personnel and policies that would connect trained young people with available opportunities.

“Considering the extensive training that the NYS provides, we must develop clear policies requiring security guards, who play a critical role in society, to be properly trained,” Waweru said.

He challenged the Government to establish a pathway through which NYS graduates could join private security firms instead of remaining unemployed despite having undergone structured training.

Mbeere North MP Leonard Wa Muthende raised similar concerns over the quality of training among some security guards, contrasting their preparation with the courses undertaken by NYS graduates.

“I support this Motion because it is not proper to have security personnel who receive only two to four days of training guarding us when NYS graduates have undergone rigorous courses and are ready to serve as security officers,” he said.

His remarks raised questions about training standards within the private security industry and whether employers sufficiently recognise the skills acquired through public training programmes.

Embu County MP Pamela Njoki called for a legal and policy framework to guide graduates from training into the workforce, questioning why a structured exit programme had not been established.

“The Government should have a legal framework and policy that looks at the exit programme for trainees. What is the exit plan for the NYS trainees after they have been trained?” she posed.

Her concerns highlighted a broader challenge facing youth empowerment programmes: training alone does not guarantee employment without deliberate links to employers and opportunities for career development.

If adopted and implemented, the proposed framework could provide a more predictable route into the security sector while helping public institutions and private employers access trained personnel.