KENYA: Head of youth agency arrested in $78m corruption scandal

Kenyan police have arrested the head of a government youth agency as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of 8bn Kenyan shillings (£59m; $78m). National Youth Service (NYS) Director General Richard Ndubai was detained, while 40 civil servants and 14 private sector officials were charged. The missing funds were allegedly stolen in a […]

Kenyan police have arrested the head of a government youth agency as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of 8bn Kenyan shillings (£59m; $78m).

National Youth Service (NYS) Director General Richard Ndubai was detained, while 40 civil servants and 14 private sector officials were charged.

The missing funds were allegedly stolen in a scheme involving senior government officials and ghost suppliers.

This is the second corruption scandal to hit NYS in the last three years. 

Kenya’s chief prosecutor Noordin Mohamed Haji told a news conference that he would examine the alleged role of banks in the scandal, Reuters reports.

The probe is seen as a blow against President Uhuru Kenyatta’s pledge to stamp out corruption, which he made when first elected in 2013.