How fraudsters are milking youth employment project funds
Kenyan youth have been warned against using cash to access funds set aside by the government for their empowerment.
Fraudsters have been reported to be extorting unsuspecting youth who are desperate to access funds from the Sh15 billion shillings recently approved by the World Bank for the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP).
The government has now stated that its aware that fraudsters have created a fictitious Facebook page of the National Treasury and kenyayouthempowermentfund.org website through which they are extorting money from unsuspecting young people.
SUSPECTS BEHIND SCHEME
“We wish to inform the public that the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs which is responsible for KYEOP does not require the youth to make any payments to be able to access the grant,” Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Mrs Lillian Mbogo-Omollo said in noticed published on local dailies.
“Further, and more importantly, implementation of the project has not commenced. The public will be notified through the appropriate media channels once the programme takes off,” the PS added.
The PS identified one of the suspects behind the scheme as a certain Mr Danson Macharia who has been receiving money from the youth through mobile number 0722680324 via MPESA or KYEP Equatorial Commercial Bank A/c No.11347911600 to cover costs of a ‘mandatory one week training that is required before the grants are disbursed.’
However, the PS cautioned that the government will not take responsibility for any loss incurred directly through correspondence with the fraudsters.
