Editorial: NYS scandal; a brazen theft of public funds

The anatomy of the multi-billion National Youth Service (NYS) grand theft has been laid bare.

Today (Tuesday), Kenyans have been made aware that one Josephine Kabura formed multiple companies that were fraudulently awarded contracts in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning.

We say fraudulently because, in her own words, Kabura told Parliament that NYS managers and other top Ministry of Devolution officials would simply meet on Sundays, of all days, and award her the contracts.

Her companies were never pre-qualified. She was simply called by contacts to pick up the multi-million local purchase orders.

We have also learned that Kabura’s 20 companies received at least Sh1.67 billion from NYS. Was she the only qualified person to do the business? What are the special skills that she possesses so as to warrant such preferential treatment?

The explanation for the massive and almost dizzying movements of money in and out of her company accounts simply stretches credulity.

Here is a person who confesses to having formed multiple companies ostensibly to increase her chances of winning government tenders. And all her companies actually got the business.

Here is a person who claims she paid out millions of shillings to suppliers without, at the very least, asking the recipients to acknowledge the payments in whatever form. It is simply a poorly crafted scheme to conceal the money trail.

Here is a person who says she could withdraw over Sh50m in one transaction and carry it in three bags to pay at a construction site, without even security.

Here is a person who claims she was philanthropic enough to give a soft loan of Sh60 million to a friend in cash and the said friend paid back in cash after a few weeks…with zero paper trail!

Here is a person who confesses that despite having transacted business worth Sh1.67 billion she had not filed any returns with the Kenya Revenue Authority.

What other evidence would the relevant authorities need to press for a conviction?

It is time someone called this for what it really was, a brazen case of money laundering or a grand robbery of public funds.

But even more important, it is clear Kabura was a willing pawn – and a front – of some shadowy but ill-disguised public fraudsters. Their fingerprints are all over the NYS money.

Isn’t it a minor miracle that they are still enjoying their freedom even as they seek bigger public positions?