NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 14 – Members of the National Assembly have backed a proposal to create employment opportunities for National Youth Service (NYS) graduates by prioritising their recruitment into government institutions and private security firms.
The Motion, sponsored by Kilifi County MP Gertrude Mbeyu, seeks to establish a policy framework for the structured deployment of NYS graduates as security officers in public institutions, tapping into their training while addressing youth unemployment.
The proposal notes that about 18,000 young people graduate from the NYS annually, even as government institutions continue to rely on private security firms to supplement security services provided by uniformed officers.
Mbeyu argues that the graduates possess skills in discipline, security awareness, public service ethics and emergency response that could be harnessed to meet the country’s security needs while opening up employment opportunities for thousands of young people.
The Motion calls on the National Government to develop guidelines for youth employment in line with Article 55 of the Constitution, with ministries, departments and agencies encouraged to prioritise NYS graduates for supplementary security roles.
It also proposes a framework to guide the division of responsibilities between NYS graduates and private security firms, covering recruitment, deployment, remuneration, training and career progression.
Supporting the proposal, Kitutu Chache MP Japheth Nyakundi said the Government should ensure young people benefit from employment opportunities after completing their NYS training, given the public resources invested in equipping them with relevant skills.
“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, urging the Government to explore opportunities for their absorption into the private security industry.
Ol Kalou MP Sammy Douglas Waweru said NYS graduates receive extensive training that could be put to better use through a policy requiring private security firms to recruit personnel who meet prescribed training standards.
“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 clear pathway through which trained young men and women could join private security firms rather than remain unemployed after completing their courses.
Mbeere North MP Leonard Wa Muthende also backed the proposal, raising concerns about the adequacy of training offered to some security guards compared 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.
Embu County MP Pamela Njoki called for a legal and policy framework to guide the transition of NYS trainees into the labour market, questioning the absence of a structured exit programme for graduates.
“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.
The proposal seeks to link skills development with employment by establishing clearer pathways for NYS graduates to enter the security sector, while giving public institutions and private firms a structured mechanism for recruiting trained personnel.
If adopted and implemented, the proposed framework could help address the gap between vocational training and employment, while providing a more predictable route into the workforce for young people completing the national service programme.