Lobby: Public misled over youth funds

Politicians opposed to Prime Minister Raila Odinga and some civil society groups have been accused of misleading the public that money meant for the Kazi kwa Vijana programme has been lost.

A lobby, Friends of Raila (FORA) said contrary to the claims the World Bank had clearly stated that no money was lost through the Youth Empowerment Programme.

“The offending politicians and their collaborators have chosen to ignore this loud and conspicuous exonerating facts published by the World Bank and have gone ahead to insinuate that there has been wrongdoing by the Prime Minister to the extent that they have demanded his resignation,” the group said in a statement Thursday.

The statement read by FORA vice-chairman Joash Mbulika was signed officials Patrick Mbangula, Micah Kigen, Dick Oneko, Ali Dida, John Kiarie, Jack Onongno, Alex Mukabwa and David Osiany.

They attached a WB statement that was sent to the media which stated that only Sh33 million required “further validation or clarification from the government to determine whether they were eligible to be paid out of KYEP funds".

“The World Bank will continue to work with the OPM (Office of Prime Minister) to review these transactions in the coming days, with a view to determining definitely whether they are not eligible for KYEP financing,” the WB statement said.

The FORA officials said based on the WB report, no funds were stolen and that the performance and application of funds for most of the projects have been satisfactory.

The group said the MPs criticising the PM over the funds should dwell on truth and stop pursuing a "selfish, malicious and parochial political agenda with total disregard for the millions of youth benefiting from this program".

“To them the youth are pawns on a political chessboard to be used and misused to gain cheap political mileage even to the extent of using them to foment election or tribal violence as has been witnessed in the past,” FORA said.

“The Kenyan youth understand the contributions that Raila Odinga has made to change their lives. His struggles to enable them inherit a free and prosperous nation with equality of opportunity and respect for human dignity is well documented and have endeared him to the youth.”

They said portraying Mr Odinga and his office in negative light on the Kazi kwa Vijana initiative is an unsuccessful attempt to sway the youth vote against him and that the move will not work.

The group described the PM as a champion in the struggle for a democratic, just, prosperous and corruption free Kenya governed by rule of law for the benefit of all Kenyans.

“The claims of wrongdoing or misappropriation of funds is the continuing attempts by the masters of impunity, corruption networks and doomsday politicians to derail the gains made by the youth via the Kazi kwa Vijana initiative and to add insult to injury, misuse the youth for cheap political gain,” FORA said.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi told Parliament it was still too early to tell whether there has been any fraud in the use of the funds allocated to KKV programme.

He said the report by the WB would have to be validated over the next two or three weeks, upon which a final one would be produced and any unclear issues resolved.

He said the pending issues were raised in relation to the spending of Sh33 million identified as potentially ineligible for re-imbursement from the WB funds for the project.