The Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action CS Aisha Jumwa has warned senior officials managing the Women Enterprise Funds against engaging in graft.
Jumwa said some WEF officials have been taking bribes from locals so that they be enlisted in the funds.
"I have information that there are some groups giving money to WEF workers so that they can be considered as beneficiaries," she said.
She also said there have been complaints that the WEF funds don't benefit the targeted groups as the money disappears into people's pockets.
Jumwa spoke on Friday while celebrating the milestone achievement on Women, Peace and Security at the Msambweni police station ground in Kwale county.
The CS directed the WEF officials to work closely with the county government and local administration for transparency and accountability to prevail.
"I order the WEF officers to work with the governor, county commissioner and chiefs offices to ensure genuine groups benefit," Jumwa added.
The CS said the public officers must serve the local citizens fairly and diligently as per the aspirations of the Kenya Kwanza government.
She said President William Ruto's administration is a corruption-free government and doesn't entertain any injustices.
The CS said the WEF funds must benefit the right people because empowering and transforming the lives of women is part of the government's key agendas.
She emphasized the officers to give citizens enough civic education about the WEF funds and enlighten them on the application processes.
Kwale governor Fatuma Achani also accused some of the WEF officers of being dishonest in their work.
She said they are working in the shadows and are not known by locals.
"I am a governor and I can tell you for sure I don't know who are the WEF officers in Kwale," she said.
Achani noted that the groups given funds are not genuine and called for sanity in the department.
She said citizens are tired of having programs that don't benefit them.
However, Jumwa assured both the locals and Achani that the WEF funds will be fairly disbursed and benefit the targetted groups.
The CS disbursed a cheque worth sh5.2 million to Kwale women empowerment groups.
Jumwa said the national government is fully supporting the welfare of women and their security.
"Enhancing women's leadership is at the forefront of the new government's manifestos," she said.
Jumwa stated that the country has steadily advanced women's leadership in strategic portfolios including peace and security.
She said statistics indicate that the percentage of women in the peace committee increased from 14 percent in 2014 to 33 percent in 2021.
The CS said the number of elected women leaders has also improved compared to before.
In addition, Jumwa said to accelerate the implementation of the women's peace security agenda and achieve its ambitions, it is critical to recognize the support of women peacebuilders at the grassroots level and across the country.
She called upon the county security teams to apply peaceful methods is strengthening national security and cohesion.
