President William Ruto has directed that National Youth Service (NYS) recruits receive mandatory basic firearms training to prepare them to defend the country when necessary.
While presiding over the 88th National Youth Service Recruits Pass-Out Parade in Gilgil on Monday, Ruto emphasized his government’s commitment to recruiting significant numbers of servicemen and women into the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and ensuring job placements for NYS graduates.
“The NYS remains indispensable to our efforts to enhance public service delivery and national security,” he stated.
The president highlighted that out of the 790 officers recruited into the Kenya Wildlife Service, 447 were former NYS recruits.
“This is a 56% overall living to my directive that all security agencies must give priority to our NYS men and women because of their demonstrated discipline, capability and paramilitary training,” Ruto explained.
He instructed the relevant ministries, particularly those of Interior and Defence, to ensure that the paramilitary training for NYS recruits includes a basic firearms course to prepare them for national defense and ‘to make sure that they stand ready to protect the country when the need arises’.
In addition, Ruto mandated the NYS to oversee the Climate Works Mtaani program, aimed at promoting environmental sustainability.
“I want to announce that NYS will be supervising the cohort of young people that shortly we will be recruiting under the initiative that will bring more young people into the space of greening Kenya,” he said.
He instructed the cabinet secretaries responsible for NYS, Environment, Housing, and Defence to lead this initiative as the country aims to plant 15 billion trees in response to climate change.
The NYS has set a goal to plant one billion trees by 2032.
