Another Scandal? Sh6.2bn NYS Heist Exposed as Ghost Supplies Scandal Rocks Government

The Standard on Friday splashed a major investigative report detailing fresh corruption allegations at the National Youth Service (NYS), reviving concerns over persistent graft at the government agency. 

Branded the “NYS III bombshell,” the exposé centres on claims by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) that the service remains a lucrative target for well-connected tenderpreneurs.

According to the report, businessman Ben Gethi and his associates are accused of fraudulently billing the government more than Sh6.2 billion for supplies purportedly delivered to the NYS. 

The alleged items include boots, cooking oil, pineapples, and corned beef. 

However, inspections of NYS stores reportedly found no trace of the goods, raising serious questions about how the payments were approved and processed.

The Standard notes that investigators concluded many of the deliveries existed only on paper, suggesting a sophisticated scheme designed to siphon public funds through fictitious procurement records. 

If proven, the case would mark yet another chapter in a long history of financial scandals linked to the youth training programme.

However, the paper reports a significant complication. 

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has cast doubt on the strength of the case, arguing that the evidence presented by investigators is weak and may not withstand scrutiny in court. 

This position has sparked debate about the quality of investigations and the broader effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts.

The revelations have renewed public scrutiny of procurement controls at the NYS and intensified calls for accountability, as Kenyans question whether systemic weaknesses continue to undermine the fight against high-level corruption.