Things you do not know about Lillian Omollo, the PS in the middle of the NYS corruption scandal

Lillian Omollo has become a household name over the past few days. Before the NYS Kshs.9 million scandal surfaced, very little was known about the 44-year-old. Lillian Wanja Muthoni Mbogo Omollo, her official name, came into the public sector after a decade of working with international organizations.

Lillian had been serving as the Principal Secretary at Devolution ministry until her suspension last week. She had been serving in that capacity for barely two and a half years and was burdened with the responsibility of changing the face of NYS after it was hit by the first corruption scandal in 2015.

It was during her vetting process before a National Assembly team in December 2015 that she made an impression. A joint committee on the National Administration and Security Committee and the Labour Committee commended her saying: “…excellent communication and interpersonal skills as exhibited through her eloquence and articulation of issues.”

Lillian, who holds a Master of Education Degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Illinois, USA as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Kenyatta University, worked as chief executive of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) before she was appointed PS.

Ms. Omollo’s occupational career spans 18 years having worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Project Manager of the Public Sector Reforms Programme between 2005 and 2011; a season that probably prepared her for the PS position.

Lilian, National Youth Service Director-General Richard Ndubai and 22 others on Tuesday faced a long list of charges relating to the loss of Sh468 million at NYS.

The 24 are expected to be in remand till 5th June as they await determination of their bond application.