NYS officials sent on compulsory leave over Ksh. 9B scandal

National Youth Service (NYS) officers in charge of Procurement Finance and Accounting have been sent on compulsory leave to allow for investigations into the Ksh.9 billion scandal facing the youth agency.

In a statement sent to newsrooms on Sunday, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Prof. Margaret Kobia said the affected officers should proceed on leave with immediate effect.

“Following the stepping aside of the Public Service principal Secretary and NYS Director General due to the ongoing investigations at NYS, I hereby direct that all officers at NYS in Procurement, Finance and Accounting who are under investigations to proceed on compulsory leave with immediate effect to allow investigators to complete their work,” reads the notice.

Public Service Principal Secretary Lillian Omollo and NYS Director-General Richard Ndubai stepped aside on Friday, May 9 to allow probe into the scandal.

According to State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu, Ms.Omollo and Mr. Ndubai wrote to President Uhuru Kenyatta informing him of their decision to step aside.

“The President also expects any public official directly implicated in the investigations to uphold the code of integrity and ethics to which they are committed and to act accordingly,” said Mr. Esipisu in statement confirming the president had received the letters.

Reports indicate that Ms. Omollo, Mr. Ndubai  and a host of other officials at NYS have been summoned for questioning on Monday by detectives probing the multi-billion scandal.

The Ksh.9 billion was allegedly siphoned from the institution in the last three years in a well-orchestrated scheme involving senior government officials and ghost suppliers.