Several financial officials in the Kenyan government have been suspended following a corruption scandal involving millions of dollars, a presidential spokesman said in a statement on Monday.

The heads of procurement and accounting in ministries, agencies, departments and state corporations were instructed to “step aside’’ immediately while undergoing a vetting process, the statement said.

The officials have until the end of the week to provide personal information about their assets and liabilities, the statement added.

Earlier, Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta had announced that top finance officials would undergo lie-detector tests to determine “their integrity and suitability” as part of a corruption crackdown.

A Kenyan court on Wednesday charged 24 suspects, including top officials, in a 79-million-dollar corruption scandal at the National Youth Service, a paramilitary institution for young people.

Kenyatta in May had said that some of those in leadership positions at institutions had turned into “predators” and promised that “like colonialism was defeated, so will we defeat corruption.” (dpa/NAN)

– Jun 4, 2018 @ 19:19 GMT |