Bill to see NYS generate its own revenue signed into law

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NYS recruits in Gil Gil during a past pass out ceremony./COURTESY

Mombasa, KENYA:A bill seeking to have the National Youth Service generate its own source of income was on Monday signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta in state house Mombasa.

The National Youth Service Act 2018 overhauls the National Youth Service Act, Cap. 208, by establishing the National Youth Service as a corporate entity, whose functions will now include the undertaking of enterprises and commercial activities.

The profit generated from the commercial activities will be invested back into to enhance the performance of the service functions.

The service which has been rocked by numerous corruption scandals since it was revamped in 2014  is funded by the government to a tune of an average of sh. 20 billion annually.

For the 2014/2015 financial year, the service received sh. 22.2 billion according to documents from the treasury.

For the 2016/2017 financial year, the service received sh.16.8 billion.

The  Act, among other changes, establishes the Council of the National Youth Service which shall be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President, and which shall be responsible for policy formulation, oversight and the general administration of the Service.

The new bill also seeks to have the police IG Joseph Boinnet appoint members of the council as special police officers in time of need.

Other Bills signed into law are the Building Surveyors Bill 2017, the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2018, the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill 2018 and the Capital Markets (Amendment) Bill 2018.

President Kenyatta also signed a vellum copy of the County Allocation of Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2018 passed by both the Senate and the National Assembly. The new Act amends the Revenue Act in order to replace the 3rd Schedule to include conditional allocations financed by development partners that had not been included in the Act as passed initially.

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