On May 19, 2021, a significant development took place in the Sh791 million National Youth Service (NYS) graft case. Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, a key witness, took the stand, shedding light on the alleged corruption.
Waiguru, who was the Devolution Secretary when the scandal occurred, later resigned in 2015. Her testimony is crucial in understanding how millions of shillings were siphoned from the State agency under the ministry.
A number of traders and former senior government officials are facing charges over the scandal, including former Devolution Permanent Secretary Dr Peter Mangiti, former NYS Director-General Nelson Githinji, ex-NYS finance director Samuel Wachenje, and business people like Josephine Kabura and Ben Gethi.
However, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji attempted to bar the media from covering Waiguru's testimony, citing concerns that the media might misreport or take her testimony out of context. The application was rejected by Milimani chief magistrate Francis Andayi, who deemed it without merit.
The trial was adjourned to August 5, 2021, as Mr Gethi and Mr Wachenje did not have a lawyer to represent them.
