Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi yesterday told MPs he has refunded to Central Bank the Sh11.87 million he received irregularly from the Nation Youth Service 10 months ago.
He said he wired the money to CBK on Monday, but without interest.
The National Assembly Public Accounts Committee is probing corruption allegations at NYS.
The committee chaired by Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo had said the analyst gives Kenyans value for their money that he has held for 10 months, and pay it with interest.
A special audit report by Auditor General Edward Ouko had identified The Consulting House – a company owned by Ngunyi – as having been among firms that benefited from fraudulent payments at the height of the Sh791 million mega scam.
Instead of receiving Sh90 million, NYS erroneously paid the analyst Sh101.87 million. The report said Ngunyi was paid Sh11.87 million in excess for his two contracts of rebranding NYS.
Ngunyi shocked MPs when he alleged a conspiracy by insiders to fix him with the excess payment to his account, following an internal conflict with the management.
“The overpayment of Sh11.875 million was made on April 23, 2015, and the source was not indicated. How the funds, which I later learnt were from NYS from an audit report, were sneaked into my account remains a mystery to me up to date,” he said.
“The cash passed through 25 Integrated Financial Management Information System stages undetected. It was too elaborate an error not to be detected. It was a plot to tarnish my name; efforts to get an explanation on how we were paid without an invoice were in vain.”
Ngunyi told MPs that former Devolution CS Anne Waiguru ignored his concerns about graft in the ministry and maintained a ‘see no evil’ attitude.
“On four occasions, I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, telling her that I suspected the systems in place were not sustainable. I said money was being lost in the system,” Ngunyi said.
“But she told me that my job at NYS was not to fight corruption.”
MPs Mahbub Fathia (Mandera) and Joel Onyancha (Bomachoge Borabu) poked holes into Ngunyi’s narrative, questioning why he never publicised the issue despite his strong social media footprint.
“I wish I could have shouted then, but I could not. I had signed a non-disclosure agreement when I landed the contract. I could not go public at that time, that is why I am talking now,” he said.