Makueni senator calls for disbandment of NYS over graft

National Youth Service (NYS) personnel during a graduation ceremony at the NYS College in Gilgil, Nakuru, on April 21, 2016. Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr has called for the disbandment of the department following series of corruption scandals that has rocked institution since 2013. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Mutula said the department enjoys huge allocation of funds to discharge its functions but the money goes to peoples' pockets.

  • Senator says department partly to blame for dirty streets in Mombasa and Nairobi cities.

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior has called for the disbandment of the National Youth Service over financial scandals that have rocked the institution since 2013.

Senator Kilonzo said the department should be done away with to stop loss of funds following a series of graft scandals in the last eight years.

"My view is that NYS should be disbanded and run by Ministry of Devolution because it has failed this country so many times," he said.

Mr Mutula said the department enjoys huge allocation of funds to discharge its functions but the money goes to peoples' pockets.

He said NYS has been given functions such as sanitation, dams, sewerages but Nairobi and Mombasa cities are still dirty because of its mismanagement.

"This is the time to dissolve NYS. The suspension of its management is not enough… the people who have benefited from the funds should be in court today," the senator said.

Mr Kilonzo said no single individual has been jailed and cases involving previous scandals in the department have not been concluded since former Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, who is now the Kirinyaga County Governor, left the office.

"It is very sad that the biggest corruption scandal in this country is in the youth docket. It is extremely disappointing," he said.

Mr Kilonzo called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to crack the whip on corruption so that he can leave a good legacy when his term ends.

On Sunday, the Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs secretary Margaret Kobia sent on compulsory leave all NYS procurement, finance and accounting department staff who are under investigation over the Sh9 billion scandal.

Prof Kobia’s action came hot on the heels of the stepping aside for three months of the Public Service Principal Secretary Lillian Omollo and NYS Director-General Richard Ndubai to allow investigators conclude probe.