Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development, when he appeared before the Senate /HANDOUT
The Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development, Geoffrey Ruku, has unveiled the ambitious plan to commercialise the National Youth Service (NYS), positioning it as a key driver of youth empowerment, industrial growth, and national productivity.
Appearing before the Senate, Ruku said the commercialisation agenda aims to make NYS self-sustaining and productive, in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Vision 2030.
He said under the plan, NYS will establish a new commercial arm, the National Youth Service Enterprises and Services Company, to manage ventures in mechanised construction, agriculture, agro-processing, textile and garment manufacturing, hospitality, and security services.
Ruku said the initiative is projected to generate Sh4 billion annually, with revenues expected to grow steadily.
This, he noted, will enable the government to cut NYS’s Sh10 billion training budget by 40 per cent, reducing reliance on the Exchequer.
“The idea is to transform NYS production units into competitive, self-sustaining enterprises. This is a new business model, a new way of thinking, that gives NYS a professional and competitive advantage,” the CS stated.
He assured senators that the NYS mandate remains as provided under the NYS Act, focusing on youth training and National service, but the new entity will handle its commercial functions.
Ruku said the government intends to unlock NYS’s full economic potential by leveraging its land, equipment, and skilled human resource base to create jobs and promote youth entrepreneurship.
He emphasised that transparency and accountability will be central to the process, with multiple oversight bodies, including the Auditor-General, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, monitoring operations.
“The commercialisation is about people, not just profit. Our goal is to empower thousands of young Kenyans through training, apprenticeship, and enterprise incubation,” Ruku said, expressing confidence that the reforms would restore public trust and make NYS a cornerstone of Kenya’s industrialisation agenda.