KENYA
Members of the trouble plagued Kenyan National Youth Service (NYS) have been sent on compulsory leave as a scandal mounts over the loss of billions of shillings of taxpayers’ money at the Agency.
Secretary for the Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, Margaret Kobia (pictured) said the officers came from procurement, finance and accounting sections at the NYS.
The move comes barely two days after Public Service and Youth Affairs Principal Secretary, Lilian-Omollo and Director-General of the NYS, Richard Ndubai stepped aside.
Leading NYS suppliers and managers were expected to appear last week before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to defend themselves over the KESh10.5 billion (A$1.4 million) scandal.
Director of Criminal Investigations, George Kinoti said he had formed a team to take statements from the officials.
Also wanted by the police are directors of companies that were involved in business with the NYS.
“I’m giving them an opportunity to bring what they have, including all records they think will convince our officers that money was paid genuinely,” Mr Kinoti said.
“I have assembled enough detectives; I want to be clinical because after that we shall meet in court and I do not want to hear people saying they were not listened to.”
Investigators want to establish whether there are cases of collusion between suppliers and NYS officials that may have resulted in the theft of money from fictitious claims against the Agency.
The latest scandal is set to thwart gains made by the Government in the fight against Public Service corruption.
Nairobi, 21 May 2018
