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"id": 381409,
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"content": "THAT, aware that unemployment is one of the major causes of insecurity and moral decadence in this country; noting with concern that the youth, who are the backbone of our society, are the most affected and that as a result, many of them have become disillusioned and hopeless; noting further that assisting the youth to access employment would contribute towards the attainment of economic and social rights enshrined in Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya; aware that Section 13 of the National Youth Service Act, Cap 208, Laws of Kenya, vests power in the Minister responsible for the Service to divide the Service into branches, units and sub-units from time to time; the Senate urges the national Government to take measures to establish National Youth Service outlets in all counties where the youth who have completed secondary level of education and who may wish to enroll for courses offered by the Service could enroll and acquire necessary skills and further that graduates from the Service be given the first priority whenever the two levels of government recruit in areas where the graduates are qualified to serve. Madam Temporary Speaker, from the outset, I am aware that we have an Act of Parliament that guides the National Youth Service. But I am also aware that in 2012, the law was also amended and there is a subsidiary legislation that also guides the Service. But looking at our country and young people today, we know that the challenges that we are facing, of unemployment, insecurity and young people taking illicit brews, are brought about by the youth wondering where they can go after finishing their O-Level. The background of the youth service in any country, including the United States and the United Kingdom is to also build patriotism in young people, so that you have the values of respecting and working for your country. You have that nationhood of also protecting your country. Madam Temporary Speaker, today you will find that, yes, the National Youth Service will recruits the youth, but there is not enough infrastructure to accommodate many of them. In fact, in the amendment of the Act, they decided that they cannot exceed 7,000 youths. When you look at 60 per cent to 70 per cent of our population today, who voted indeed for the Jubilee Government, they were young people. I know that within the Government, we have a clear structure on how we want to deal with young people. Looking at what has been allocated also for the youth in terms of the Budget, it will be important to have an infrastructure that, first, enables these young people to have skills before even engaging in any business or employment. Madam Temporary Speaker, you will recall those years when our youth would go to the National Youth Service (NYS) and gain more knowledge before joining universities. This used to, first, instill discipline. That is one of the mandates of the NYS. I think that the NYS helped many youth to understand that they were the backbone of the country and leaders of tomorrow. But, today, when we tell our young people that they are leaders of tomorrow and they have nothing that they are doing at the moment, they wonder what they will contribute to the nation at that time. When you look at Kenya today, it is very worrying for any woman who has a young person in his or her house. You will find that when you go to work and go back home, the only thing that they will The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}