President William Ruto has directed various ministries to allocate at least 30% of their vacancies to National Youth Service (NYS) graduates, in recognition of their role in contributing to national socioeconomic transformation. He also announced that the government had entered into bilateral agreements with select foreign countries to export Kenya’s human capital.
Ruto, who spoke during a thanksgiving ceremony in Kakamega on Sunday, June 18, 2023, said that through the program, one million jobs for the youth would be created. He said this was part of his campaign promise to end joblessness among the youth.
Among the countries that Kenyans will travel to for work include Germany, Barbados, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Ruto said he had already kickstarted the process by working with relevant ministries. He said he was reforming Labour and Foreign Affairs ministries and had labour agreements with many countries.
Ruto added that Kenyans working abroad were remitting Ksh4 billion yearly and that amount would increase exponentially after one million Kenyans travelled abroad to work under the program. He said this would help grow the economy of the country.
He also revealed that he had flown to Germany on Sunday night to pursue employment opportunities for Kenyans in the European country. He said he had met with German officials and secured a deal for 200,000 Kenyans to work in various sectors such as agriculture, engineering, health and education.
Ruto urged Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to join NYS first before applying for any other opportunities. He said NYS was a great platform for acquiring skills and experience that would enhance their employability. He also praised NYS for its discipline and professionalism.
He said he was enhancing the path to the disciplined services by directing Defence, Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage as well as Interior ministries to reserve 30% of their vacancies for NYS servicemen and women. He said this would encourage and motivate many young Kenyans on their path to national service and productivity.
