The violence started at night on Monday as youths torched some NYS projects. Photo/ JOSEPH MURAYA
NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 23 – The government was on Tuesday counting losses following massive destruction of property in Kibera where youths set ablaze projects initiated by Devolution CS Ann Waiguru.
They torched clinics, toilets put up by the National Youth Service (NYS) and vandalized water tanks and pipes, in what is linked to woes facing the Devolution CS.
Police had a hard time controlling the situation after the youths blocked major roads leading to the slums, while chanting anti-government slogans.
The ugly scenes followed Monday’s street demonstrations by a group that appeared to support the CS while castigating CORD leader Raila Odinga who has been criticising Waiguru.
Monday night’s chaotic scenes have sparked a major debate on the social media where most users are accusing Kibera residents of being used to settle political scores at the expense of projects meant to benefit them.
The CORD leader and a section of the civil society has been demanding a proper investigation on an alleged scandal involving some Sh800 million and all the resources spent in the NYS projects, after the CS announced that she is the one who called for a probe.
“We want Waiguru to be investigated over this matter, the government must fully account for the tax payers money,” Odinga said at the weekend. Waiguru has denied involvement in the scandal, declaring “all was above board because no money was lost.”
Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi whose consultancy firm was retained to help rebrand the NYS at a cost of Sh38 million has defended the project, saying everything was above board, and accused Odinga of politicising the matter for his own selfish interests.
“Raila is a lord of poverty. He sucks political blood from the poor. NYS disrupted this blood flow in Kibera,” Ngunyi tweeted on Monday.
The tweets touched off a new controversy, prompting Odinga’s aides to fire salvos at the respected political analyst who predicted President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win in 2013 based on the now famous “tyranny of numbers”.
“You are a thief, sucking people’s blood in the name of consultancy,” Odinga’s party Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Communication Director Philip Etale replied.
Odinga himself has not formally reacted to the accusations.
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