DCI looking into Youth Affairs PS Omollo's stay at KNH

Public Service Principal Secretary Lillian Mbogo in court on May 29, 2018 over the loss of money at the NYS. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • It is understood that the DCI wants an independent doctor to examine Ms Omollo to confirm that she cannot stand trial.
  • She was remanded 10 days ago over the Sh9 billion scandal at the NYS but was rushed to hospital after fainting in court.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have launched investigations into the continued stay in hospital of Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Lillian Mbogo-Omollo.

Ms Omollo was remanded on Tuesday last week by the court but was admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital after she fainted.

Sources told the Nation on Thursday that a team from the DCI is investigating both the Ministry of Health and the Prisons Department regarding Ms Omollo’s admission, which has raised fears that she is being protected from prison life by powerful colleagues.

A letter from the hospital on Thursday asked that she be excused from attending court sessions, but it is understood that the DCI wants an independent doctor to examine Ms Omollo to confirm that she cannot stand trial.

PRISON
The medical report, signed by consultant physician Stanley Ngare and presented in court on Thursday, noted that Ms Omollo “is still not stable enough to attend court proceedings and requires continued care in hospital”.

The investigations came on the day five members of Parliament also questioned Ms Omollo’s stay in hospital, saying “she needs to join her colleagues at Lang’ata Women’s Prison”.

A Nation report on Wednesday revealed how the PS, who is in the VIP section of Kenyatta National Hospital, has been living in considerable luxury as her co-accused languish in jail.

Medical specialists intimated that apart from complaining of a stomach ailment, Ms Omollo is generally healthy.

She was remanded 10 days ago over the Sh9 billion scandal at the National Youth Service (NYS), but was rushed to hospital straight from the courtroom after falling ill and fainting in court.

CHARGES

She, alongside 42 other suspects, faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit economic crimes, failure to comply with the law relating to the protection of public funds, and abuse of office.

On Thursday, five MPs also called for the resignation of Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki over the NYS scandal, arguing that it took place during her tenure at the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs.

They warned that if she does not step aside, they will start collecting signatures among MPs to censure her.

Investigators believe that the Sh9 billion scandal occurred when NYS officials created companies then assigned them contract numbers, made fake local purchase orders and created tracks of service deliveries in place of genuine, pre-qualified companies.

BIG FISH
The MPs, Sylvanus Osoro (South Mugirango), Tindi Mwale (Butere), Bashir Abdullahi (Mandera North), Moses Kirimi (Imenti Central) and Abdikarim Osman (Fafi), said the war on corruption must not be fought half-heartedly.

“This is now the second theft involving millions of shillings at NYS, and we are wondering what the CS is still doing in office. She should take political responsibility,” Mr Osoro said at a press conference at Parliament.

Mr Mwale asked investigators why they went only for Ms Omollo and other officers in the ministry, but, curiously, avoided the CS.

“We must go for the big fish,” he said, while Mr Kirimi warned that “There should be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption”.

IMPEACH
Ms Kariuki has been invited twice by the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee over the NYS scandal, but has failed to turn up on both occasions.

Should the CS fail to step aside and the MPs go ahead with their plans to impeach her, it will be the the lawmaker’s second attempt to kick her out this year.

Ms Kariuki found herself walking a tight rope earlier this year following the suspension of Kenyatta National Hospital boss Lily Koros after a section of MPs, mainly from the Rift Valley, collected 170 signatures and submitted the motion for her removal from office to National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai.

But Deputy President William Ruto intervened and reined in the MPs.

So far 47 people have denied charges relating to the theft of Sh469 million at the NYS.

They have all been denied bail and are in custody in prisons in the city.

One of them, Mr Rodgers Nzioka, has appealed the decision, arguing that economic crimes are bailable, and that “the magistrate’s consideration, on the face of it, was not only injudicious, but also discriminatory”.