A new Sh10.5 billion corruption scandal has been exposed at the National Youth Service (NYS) even as President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged renewed efforts to combat the vice in recent weeks.
In an elaborate scheme involving ghost suppliers and high-ranking government officials, the money was siphoned from the institution in the past 3 years.
The theft of taxpayer funds involved the payment of pending bills, investigations have revealed.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji confirmed that a multi-agency probe was underway and announced new measures to seal loopholes that have characterized high-level corruption cases in Kenya.
“The matter involves many people, some of them very senior. We’re part of a multi-agency team.
[caption caption="DPP Noordin Haji"]
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“We have a new way of working on corruption cases to ensure that all gaps are sealed before we move to court, including holding pre-trial conferences,” he stated.
NYS Director-General Richard Ndubai disclosed that detectives had indeed pitched camp at their Thika Road headquarters where they interrogated staff.
"It is true CID camped here (NYS Thika road headquarters); they have been investigating, but I can’t tell what exactly it is, but they took vouchers from 2011 to last month,” he noted.
Ghost suppliers were paid at the expense of genuine ones while, in some cases, double payments were made to ghost suppliers using the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
A Sh791 million scandal at NYS dealt a blow to President Kenyatta's administration in his first term as no convictions were secured with 24 people who were charged in a Nairobi court were all acquitted.
The most prominent casualty was Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru who was then in charge of the Devolution and Planning Ministry but left the position.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta"]
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