By Our Correspondents
Worth Noting:
- According to the recruitment schedule published last week, mountain region counties will be recruiting the following servicemen and women; .Kiambu – 855, Murang’a – 433, Nyeri – 324, Nakuru – 738, Kirinyaga – 255, Meru – 535, Nyandarua – 247, Laikipia – 178, Embu – 228 and Tharaka Nithi – 171, total which represents 26.4 per cent of all expected recruits numbering 15,000.
- Yesterday, CS Kuria called on all leaders across the country to ensure that the exercise which is expected to end on Friday is carried out smoothly and to the planned expectation of the government.
A nationwide recruitment exercise where thousands of youth are set to join the National Youth Service (NYS) kicks off today.
Unlike in the past, where slots up for grabs are divided on sub-county basis, this time, there is a schedule on how many positions each ward should get.
This initiative, the brainchild of Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management Moses Kuria, has been hailed by most Kenyans with other organisations being urged to borrow a leaf while carrying out similar exercises.
An analysis shows that counties neighbouring the highest mountain in the country have leapt big in the upcoming activity.
Slots allocation which was based on the population in what seems to be the policy of one man, one vote, one shilling will see the counties in the mountain region take home more than 25 per cent of the availed positions.
The region will be the greatest beneficiary, more so bearing in mind that the Kenya Kwanza government announced that 80 per cent of disciplined forces will be required to be hired from those who have undergone through the NYS training.
According to the recruitment schedule published last week, mountain region counties will be recruiting the following servicemen and women; .Kiambu – 855, Murang’a – 433, Nyeri – 324, Nakuru – 738, Kirinyaga – 255, Meru – 535, Nyandarua – 247, Laikipia – 178, Embu – 228 and Tharaka Nithi – 171, total which represents 26.4 per cent of all expected recruits numbering 15,000.
Yesterday, CS Kuria called on all leaders across the country to ensure that the exercise which is expected to end on Friday is carried out smoothly and to the planned expectation of the government.
“Dear all MCAs, MPs, Women Reps, Senators, Governors, Media, Clergy, professionals and Wananchi in general. Since I have published the number of NYS slots for each of our 1,450 wards, it is up to you to monitor and ensure that the exercise that kicks off tomorrow is fair and transparent and your wards get their rightful share. It is time to fix this country once and for all. The Price of Freedom is Vigilance,” Kuria wrote on his Facebook page.
Last Friday, the CS wrote a letter to the NYS Director General James K. Tembur calling on his office to ensure the recruitment exercise was carried out without any incident.
In the letter, Kuria noted that the meticulous distribution was designed to promote equity and fairness and eflecting the essence of the NYS in festering national unity.
He told the Director General and his team to ensure that they observe regular monitoring and reporting mechanisms are put in place to promptly identify and address deviations from the prescribed distribution.
“Encourage open communication channels for feedback ensuring that any concern and discrepancies are reported and addressed promptly,” the CS said, adding they should maintain the highest level of professionalism throughout the recruitment exercise to uphold the credibility of the NYS.
Those recruited will after a few weeks join NYS training college in Gilgil, Nakuru County where they will receive paramilitary and technical skills training.
Suleiman Mbatiah