Kibera youths hold demo in support of embattled Waiguru
Hundreds of the youths and women from Kibera slums held a demonstration in Nairobi on Monday in support of embattled Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.
The protesters, who work for various National Youth Service (NYS) projects to clean up Kibera, were demonstrating against the rising allegations of corruption on the management of the project’s funds.
They wore NYS- branded t-shirts and marched to Parliament buildings and Office of the President chanting; “Hatutaki siasa, tunataka maendeleo” (We don’t want politics, we want development).
They said the NYS projects had transformed Kibera.
One of the youths, who only identified himself as Shasha, said CS Waiguru is being targeted by the opposition because of the projects that have helped Kibera youths.
TANGIBLE PROJECTS
“We want to send a message to the opposition that as long as the government is engaging in tangible development projects they should remain quiet and wait for their turn to lead the country,” said Shasha.
The youths accused Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale of engaging in dirty politics.
“We are tired of retrogressive politics and as youths these projects have created employment. In fact we would like them to continue till the time when the entire Kibera will be transformed,” said Cliff, another protester.
The Devolution Ministry has been embroiled in claims of corruption over the controversial payment of Sh826 million NYS payments in the electronic platform known as the Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS).
On Thursday, Ms Waiguru said she had written to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations over attempts to steal Sh826 million from NYS.
DEFEND PAYMENTS
Ms Waiguru later held a press conference defending various payments, including to Mr Mutahi Ngunyi’s Consulting House, Transcend Media Group, Bora Global Ltd, Ms Things of Desire, and Brand Associates.
On Saturday, Cord leader Raila Odinga waded into the NYS scandal and called for an independent forensic audit of how the funds have been used.
“Jubilee must get to the bottom of the theft going on at the Ministry of Devolution with a thorough independent forensic audit of the NYS, including its budget, recruitment, training manual and gender, ethnic and regional composition of its recruits,” said Mr Odinga in a statement.