Outgoing Machakos County Commissioner Matilda Sakwa has been appointed as the new National Youth Service (NYS) Director-General.
Sakwa takes over from Richard Ndubai who was suspended and charged in court over alleged loss of Sh9 billion at the institution.
The outgoing commissioner with experience in administration takes over NYS at a time when it is bedeviled by corruption.
The big question now is, will Sakwa succeed where others have miserably failed?
Nancy Lichuma, a public administrator, and policymaker at a local University in Limuru says that Sakwa will have it rough in managing the institution that has been tarnished by graft.
She says that Sakwa’s first assignment is to ensure the public has confidence in the youth institution.
“It is going to be tough for her especially in making the public trust the National Youth Service,” she said on Tuesday.
Lichuma said that the ongoing purge against corruption across government institutions will be Sakwa’s only hope of revolutionizing NYS.
Sakwa has welcomed her appointment as the new NYS Director General. The outgoing Machakos County Commissioner says that she has what it takes to transform NYS.
She notes that she will crackdown and expose all cartels who have been allegedly siphoning taxpayer’s money at the NYS.
NYS has been wallowing in controversy over the theft of public funds.
Suppliers and some workers at the youth service have allegedly been conspiring and colluding to steal huge amounts of money with no goods or services being delivered as would be expected.
In 2015, former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru resigned as CS after the loss of Sh791 Million at NYS.
The then Devolution PS Peter Mangiti and former NYS Director-General Nelson Githinji among other people were sacked and charged in court over the alleged theft.
In May, NYS was on the spot again with the alleged loss of Sh9 Billion.
Public Service PS Lilian Mbogo and Ndubai were suspended and charged in court over the alleged loss.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has since announced new measures among them lifestyle audit and vetting for state works as his government moves to tame runway graft that is threatening his development agenda and legacy.