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{
    "id": 685554,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/685554/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 187,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "people to enrich themselves. They hid money under their blankets or mattresses for their own use under the guise that it was going to benefit the youth. Many youths have been frustrated because they were recruited by the same people in the NYS and in the Ministry for jobs which at first were very attractive. They were to be paid about Kshs350 per day and Kshs100 was to be saved. Most of the constituencies where the youth were recruited to date have not received that money. Even the original weekly payments and the balance that was supposed to be deposited somewhere has not been seen. It ended up to the Kshs97 million that we are talking about. Using our youth to get money for personal use is something we should condemn in the strongest terms. A lot of money has been lost in this country through fraud where institutions are started and briefcase companies formed overnight just to target a certain amount of money that has been allocated for public purposes. We have had scandals that have been investigated in this country, like this one, on which reports were tabled in Parliament or with other Arms of the Government. Those reports have never seen the light of day. The people who have been accused of such offences are walking on the streets. Money which would have saved thousands of Kenyans, or raised them above the poverty line, has been misappropriated by a few people who are freely walking on the streets while petty offenders are languishing in jail. It is high time we brought morality to our systems and have leaders of good morals and integrity in public office. Once you are bequeathed with an office to run, with the task of bringing development in this country or implementing Government programmes, you should own up and be accountable. As a deterrent measure, I would recommend that whoever is found culpable in this matter and in many other matters, should be brought to book. We need to clean the house. If that money is recovered, be it in real estate or whatever form, let the properties be sold so that the youth can get the money as promised. We got stories of how equipment was bought for the defunct Kazi Kwa Vijana Programme. Spades, gloves, boots and other pieces of equipment were bought at 100 times above their value. People who never owned shops or knew how to display wares in shops before opened small shops, bought items from factories and deposited them at the youth centres. They then got paid and closed shop. That is very unfortunate. If this Report has evaluated all these issues and named the persons who were culpable, let them be brought to book and be made to pay back the money so that the youth can get back their money. At the end of the day, they will be an example to others. Hon. Deputy Speaker, fraud is not only rife at the YEDF but also in other institutions in this country. There is the Triton oil scandal, the Chicken Gate scandal and the infamous Goldenberg scandal. For how long shall we live in this scenario in this country? Other countries are ahead of us because the resources that are supposed to be spent on development projects to move this country forward end up in individuals’ pockets. We started the development journey with many other countries but we are mark timing because only about 30 per cent of funds meant for development in this country go to development. About 70 per cent end up in the pockets of the people who implement development projects. When will we become a developed country? When will we absorb the many youths who leave school annually? They loiter on the streets of Nairobi and many other towns, as well as in the villages, without any jobs. Very few individuals use the money that should have been used to establish business enterprises to accommodate the youths. It is high time that we, as leaders, and other people in public offices, brought back sanity and protected public funds for the benefit of the future generations of this country."
}