Youth Fund driver was ‘murdered’ to hide damning fund details

Chilling details of how a Youth Fund driver was murdered to cover a scheme to loot millions of shillings from the fund have emerged. Suspended Youth Enterprise Development Fund Acting Chief Executive Officer Catherine Namuye says officers intent at hiding details of the scandal could have been responsible for the driver’s death in October last year.

In a heated and emotional sitting of the Public Investments Committee, Namuye denied responsibility for the loss of the monies saying transactions were sanctioned by the board.

Her long oral presentation saw the Parliamentarians accuse her of evading questions. Namuye now puts to doubt the authenticity of letters submitted to the committee carrying her signature saying she could not tell if she had authored them.

But when the talk got stormy, she gave in. Namuye now claims she was prevailed upon by unnamed members of the Youth Fund Board to make payments to Quorandum Limited.

Namuye sought to respond in a private session, but before she could things took  an emotional turn, forcing her to take a time out.

Sources indicate that Board Chair Bruce Odhiambo and the chair of the audit committee of the fund Nicholas Mwaniki exerted pressure on Namuye to effect the payments.

Sources further say that Namuye divulged details of how a driver with the fund lost his life in mysterious circumstances while in Mombasa on official duty.

The late Simon Mwangi is reported to have been in the company of senior officials of the youth Fund Including a director and that he feared for his life after overhearing a conversation touching on the scam.

Before his death in October last year, Mwangi is said to have spoken to his wife expressing the fears. His family demanded thorough investigations into his death at the time.

Further, Namuye disclosed that a number of companies suspected to be affiliated to the board chair Bruce Odhiambo were beneficiaries of at least 32 million shillings, for services not clear if they were rendered.