Members of Parliament have raised concerns over millions of shillings spent constructing Youth Empowerment Centres that are yet to become fully operational.
The National Assembly Public Accounts Committee questioned the government’s decision to continue building more centres while many completed facilities remain unused.
The concerns were raised on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, as MPs examined Auditor-General reports covering the State Department for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years.
The Auditor-General’s report showed that only 156 of the 290 planned Youth Empowerment Centres had been constructed.
However, MPs said some of the completed facilities were not serving young people because they lacked staff and proper programmes.
Public Accounts Committee chairperson Tindi Mwale questioned whether taxpayers were getting value for money when new centres were being constructed while existing ones remained idle.
He argued that the government should first ensure completed facilities are fully operational before spending more money on additional construction.
Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs Fikirini Jacobs told the committee that inadequate funding and staffing had affected the operations of the centres.
The Youth Empowerment Centres are intended to provide young people with services such as ICT training, entrepreneurship support, counselling, talent development and networking opportunities.
The government has been using the centres as part of its wider efforts to create opportunities for young people across the country.
MPs are now seeking more information on the status of the completed centres and how much public money has been spent on facilities that are not yet fully operational.
The committee is expected to continue examining the department’s accounts as it seeks answers on whether government funds allocated to youth programmes are delivering the intended benefits.
The concerns have renewed questions about the need for proper planning, staffing and funding before additional public resources are committed to new youth facilities.