A new board to run the Youth Enterprise Development Fund for the next three years was named on Wednesday. Youth Affairs CS Sicily Kariuki said she is confident the team will clean up the tainted image of the fund, which has been disbanded twice over corruption issues.
“The team has joined the board at a most opportune time, when their collective skills, knowledge and full participation are necessary and expected to turn the fund around. I have faith in their abilities to get it where it aspires to be,” Ms Kariuki said.
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The nine-member team will be led by Ronnie Osumba, Peter Kenneth’s presidential running mate in 2013.
Other team members include Hellen Machora, Caroline Amondi, James Kiiru, Julie Waweru, Suleiman Noor, Faith Kibet, Juliet Nyangai and Benson Mutemo.
The Fund had been embroiled in an alleged theft scandal at the youth fund, particularly the transfer of Ksh 180 million in two tranches of Ksh115 million and Ksh 65 million to a company identified as Quorandum Limited.
In April 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta sacked the entire board of the National Youth Enterprise Development Fund over corruption allegations.
The kitty’s chairman Bruce Odhiambo who had resigned earlier, had his appointment officially revoked alongside those of seven other board members.
In a gazette notice dated April 8, 2016, President Kenyatta announced the revocation of the appointments at the center of a multi-million scandal at the youth fund.
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“In exercise of the powers conferred to me by section 7 (3) of the State Corporations Act Cap 446, I , Uhuru Kenyatta , President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of Kenya Defence Forces, revoke the appointment of Bruce Odhiambo as the Chairman of the Board of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund,” said President Kenyatta.
Other board members who were similarly sacked included; Sella Bogonko, Paul Gathura Ng’ang’a, Sabra Omar Hussein, Jane Mutinda, Mike Wamae, Clement Ayungo and Nicholas Mwaniki.
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