Speaking on the sidelines of the Third Annual Legislative Summit in Mombasa, Kilonzo Jr stated that the body should instead be restructured and placed under a substantive ministry as a department/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21 – Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr says the National Youth Service should be disbanded following the latest Sh9 billion fraud claims at the institution.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Third Annual Legislative Summit in Mombasa, Kilonzo Jr stated that the body should instead be restructured and placed under a substantive ministry as a department.
He explained that it is being given a lot of money to conduct its affairs, a huge chunk of which is misappropriated.
“NYS should be disbanded. NYS should be run through the Ministry of Devolution in conjunction with the ministry of Youth because it has failed this country so many times. We have given it a huge budget since 2013. NYS has money for functions of counties. It is not performing those functions,” he stated.
He is further called for stern action which includes jail time to be taken on anyone found culpable in the scandal.
“The major cities of this country, Mombasa, Nairobi are the dirtiest in this country yet we are still giving NYS money. This is the time to disband NYS and its management, it is not enough for them to be suspended, somebody should go to court,” he said.
Some of the top managers and suppliers at NYS were expected to be grilled from Monday over the claims at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters Nairobi.
More than 42 people are expected to appear before a team that is investigating claims of fraud at the service.
They are expected to explain their role in the scandal that has threatened to cripple the running of the state department and the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti said that those found culpable will be prosecuted.
All officers at the National Youth Service’ Procurement, Finance and Accounting who are under investigations have been sent on compulsory leave.
Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia said the move follows ongoing investigations at the body and the stepping aside of the Principal Secretary Lilian Mbogo-Omollo, and the Director General Richard Ndubai.
This is the second time NYS has shot into the limelight over runaway theft, after the previous one cost the then Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru who is now the Kirinyaga Governor and former Devolution Principal Secretary Peter Mangiti among a host of other top officials their jobs.
Hair dresser identified as Josephine Kabura was later unmasked as one of the architects of the scandal.
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