Governor Anne Waiguru Dismisses Calls to Revisit NYS Scandal

On Sunday night, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru told host Jeff Koinange on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live that references to the National Youth Service controversy should no longer be used to attack her political record.

She noted that the issue first emerged in 2015 while she was Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning and that, almost fifteen years later, critics should raise other concerns.

“Everybody has got a stain,” Waiguru said, adding that the people involved in the case have already been prosecuted and that attempts to revive the matter are meant to throw mud because opponents cannot find new points of criticism.

The governor highlighted her electoral record, stating she was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2022, becoming the first woman to win the governorship twice in Kirinyaga.

The scandal centred on alleged fraudulent payments at the National Youth Service, with reports that public funds between KSh791 million and KSh1.8 billion disappeared, drawing national attention.

In 2016 the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission reported that its probe had not uncovered evidence warranting an adverse recommendation against Waiguru, although several other individuals were later investigated and prosecuted.

Waiguru reiterated that she bears no responsibility for the alleged loss of funds and urged that the episode should not define her career.