PS denies losing Sh8 billion to fraud in NYS deals

The Ministry of Youth Affairs has denied reports that it lost Sh8 billion in fraudulent payments to non-existent firms in deals with the National Youth Service.

Instead, the ministry said 13 vouchers that were under investigation by a multi-agency team led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were paid Sh121 million and not Sh8 billion.

According to a brief prepared by Principal Secretary Lilian Mbogo-Omollo to CS Margaret Kobia, all vouchers forwarded to the DCI for investigation amount to Sh900 million and not Sh8 billion, a figure touted by the director general of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

The PS, in the brief, explained that Sh8.8 billion referred to the total payments to suppliers for two financial years.

Officers from DCI, who commenced a probe about six months ago, are combing through all payments made to suppliers for the past six years.

The investigation was triggered by allegations that some ghost suppliers had been included in a list prepared by the ministry to offset pending bills from 2013 to 2016, outside the Sh791 million scandal in 2015.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Kenya Revenue Authority are investigating six firms that were paid Sh70 million from NYS during the same period. The firms are either owned by one person or share directors of related persons.

Senior officials from the Devolution ministry and the NYS have recorded statements.

NYS Director General Richard Ndubai said he had cooperated with the detectives and provided all the documents required.