CS Ruku Hits Back at Standard Media Over Multi-Billion NYS Scandal Headline

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has hit back atThe Standardover a headlinealleging a multi-billion-shilling graft scandal at the National Youth Service (NYS).

The Standard, in its Friday, January 16, newspaper headline titled'NYS III bombshell',alleges that suppliers submitted false or dubious payment claims totalling about Sh6.2 billion to the NYS.

Theseclaims are said to relate to supplies such as boots, fuel, helmets, t-shirts, and food items such as cooking oil, sugar and baked beans. As per the article, these items were reportedly never supplied.

According toThe Standard, several companies linked with senior businessmen in Kenya appealed court orders that barred NYS from paying out the disputed Ksh6.2 billion.

In response, Ruku dismissed the newspaper's style of reporting the matter, insisting thatthe Standard media was meddling in old issues, intending to mislead the public.

Speaking on Friday, January 16, during the commissioning of the Kamwangi Huduma Centre in Kiambu County, the CS said the claims highlighted by the media largely relate to challenges that occurred between 2013 and 2016.

"I have seen the standard newspaper saying that NYS is corrupt. Mainstream media should be telling people the truth. What they have published in their newspaper are things that happened a long time ago in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016," Ruku stated.

According to Ruku, past irregularities within NYS were addressed through comprehensive audits that led to the elimination of fictitious and inflated pending bills.

"There is no Kenyan who does not know we previously had challenges in NYS. But as a government, we made sure that all the pending bills in those years that I have mentioned were properly audited," he added.

Ruku noted that since assuming office, he has prioritised transparency and accountability in themanagement of public resources, particularly at NYS, which has in the past been associated with procurement scandals.

He further stated that his ministry was working closely with the Judiciary to ensure that those involved in the multi-billion-shilling scandal at NYS are subjected to legal action.

"That is why we have decided to work closely with the Judiciary to ensure that the people of Kenya do not lose any money through fictitious payment. If there are allegations of corruption in NYS, let the media report them fairly," he emphasised.