President William Ruto has ordered that National Youth Service (NYS) recruits undergo mandatory basic firearms training to prepare them to defend the country if needed. Speaking at the 88th NYS Recruits Pass-Out Parade in Gilgil on Monday, Ruto emphasized his government's commitment to integrating a significant number of NYS graduates into the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and securing other job opportunities for them.

"The NYS remains vital to our mission of improving public service delivery and ensuring national security," Ruto said.


The president highlighted that out of 790 officers recruited by the Kenya Wildlife Service, 447 were former NYS recruits. "This represents 56%, aligning with my directive that all security agencies prioritize NYS men and women due to their proven discipline, capability, and paramilitary training," Ruto added.

He further instructed the relevant ministries, particularly those of Interior and Defence, to ensure that the paramilitary training provided to NYS recruits includes a basic firearms course, enabling them to be ready to protect the country if necessary.