The National Youth Service (NYS) is A Duplication of Public Service that Kenyans can do Without
We hypothesize that the National Youth Service, regardless of its characterisation, is a duplication of public service that Kenyans can do without. To test this hypothesis, we examine budget data for FY2015/16 – specifically allocations to the National Youth Service and mirrors them with objectives, activities and allocations to other state departments and institutions. We argue that if state institutions effectively delivered on their man-dates, there would be little need for specific policy or institutions and resource allocations ring-fenced for the youth like in the case of the NYS. We also argue that allocations to the NYS and its programmes could be impinging on the mandates of some state institutions and encroaching on resources available to them sometimes limiting the efficiency and coverage of services delivered. We argue in conclusion that most of the activities for which Kshs24.9 billion was al-located to NYS to carry out in FY2015/16could be mainstreamed in the operations of state institutions to reduce waste of public resources (in duplicative programme administration, transaction and overhead costs) and achieve allocative efficiency and value for money.
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