Have you ever been a scout or plan to be one? Well, here is some good news for you
While presiding over this year’s Kenya Scouts Association’s Patron’s Day, President Uhuru Kenyatta made some great suggestions and took a raft of measures that will certainly help tranform the organization.
He also presented various awards to members of the association for their contribution to the scouts movement and the country.
Recognizing the scout movement’s potential to support government efforts to instil discipline among the country’s youth, President Kenyatta directed that the Teachers Service Commission to deploy two teachers to each county to coordinate scouting programmes in schools.
He urged schools to make use of the scouting movement as a partner and use its influence to instil the culture of discipline in Kenyan schools.
President Kenyatta also assured that the Government will double its financial allocation to the Kenya Scouts Association, commending the association for its prudent use of public funds.
The President said the approximately Shs 105 million allocated to the Scouts Association annually has been put to good use leading to a significant increase in numbers of young people who have joined the association.
“The increase of membership from 125,000 in 2013 to 1.4 million making it the largest youth organization in Kenya and in Africa today is no mean achievement. It means money has been spent well,” President Kenyatta said.
“Because you have used the funds well, starting this coming financial year, we shall double the allocation to ensure this association continue to do the good work that it is doing,” he continued.
The President asked the National Land Commission to regularise the status of all land belonging to the Kenya Scouts Association and hand it back to the association before close of this year.
He said the Ministry of Youth and Public Service Ministry will work with the Association to convert those lands, where possible, into fully operational Scout Centers where scouts can carry out their programmes.
“This is to give the growing number of scouts safe and convenient spaces to carry out scouting programme activities,” the President said.
The President pointed out that being a scout is supposed to be an added advantage when one is seeking employment especially in the disciplined forces and in public service, and directed that scouts should be accorded priority in recruitment.
“If there are two applicants for police, for the military or any Government job who have the same marks, the one who participated as a scout should have the edge,” President Kenyatta said.
President Kenyatta agreed to the association’s request to make the Patron’s Day an annual event.