Former PS Mangiti exposes deep rift with Waiguru at NYS

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Peter Mangiti denied that he was behind the creation of the position and subsequent posting Mr Adan Harakhe as the office holder, arguing that such a role went beyond his terms of reference.

Sacked Planning principal secretary Peter Mangiti has denied ignoring advice from the Public Service Commission (PSC), stopping him from creating a non-existent position for Adan Harakhe at the National Youth Service (NYS).

Mr Mangiti was responding to PSC secretary Alice Otwala’s October testimony to the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that he had created the position of deputy director-general at the National Youth Service in disregard of legal advice.

Mr Mangiti, who appeared before the same committee on Wednesday, denied that he was behind the creation of the position and subsequent posting of Mr Harakhe as the office holder, arguing that such a role went beyond his terms of reference.

The former PS told the PAC that in May 2015, former Devolution and Planning secretary Ann Waiguru instructed him through a memo to sign a letter that had been written to the PSC to consider creating a senior deputy director- general’s position at NYS and appoint Mr Harakhe to it.

“She (Ms Waiguru) made it clear that she had discussed the matter with the chair of PSC and the letter was being awaited,” he said.

The PSC received the letter and wrote back declining the request, insisting that the position had to be advertised.

“Subsequently, vacancy indents for advertisement were prepared in line with the existing NYS Act and were forwarded to her (Ms Waiguru) for approval,” said Mr Mangiti.

The former CS later forwarded amended indents to the PSC, which upon scrutiny found that academic requirements, among other key qualifications for the position, had been expunged.

The new developments raised questions, compelling the PSC to request for a joint meeting which, Mr Mangiti said, never took place because Ms Waiguru had issued instructions that her guidance be sought ahead of the meeting.

“To my knowledge therefore Mr Harakhe was never promoted on my authority as insinuated in the earlier presentations made to the committee,” he said.

READ: Mangiti created illegal position for NYS boss - Parliament told

He said he signed the letter as a legitimate compliance to the demands of his boss (Ms Waiguru), who was the ministry’s authorising officer.

“Your appraisal of Mr Harakhe in the appointing letter sounds musical,” said Nicholas Gumbo, the committee’s chairman, adding that the memo that accompanied the appointment letter was the only thing that would exonerate him.

Mr Mangiti maintained that Mr Harakhe was head-hunted by Ms Waiguru with the help of Hassan Noor, a senior administrator at the ministry.

The former PS told the PAC of his many frustrations in office where Ms Waiguru had directed his juniors to report directly to her.

“She humiliated me in front of my juniors and directed those under me, including heads of departments of accounts and procurement, to report directly to Mr Noor since according to her I had become difficult,” he said.

On the rationale for increasing the ministry’s budgetary allocation and further allocation of a supplementary budget, Mr Mangiti said the request did not emanate from him.

“The CS requested for this money directly without the input of the NYS or mine as the accounting officer. When the supplementary budget was granted, she gave instructions to the NYS DG ( director-general) Nelson Githinji on how the money was to be allocated in the IFMIS,” he said.

NYS in 2014/15 requested for an additional Sh3.5 billion for implementation of the Youth Transformation and Empowerment programme.

A five-point transformational framework for the programme had been developed by consultants who also provided the basis for activities and work plan for the NYS.

Mr Mangiti said that from the onset of the NYS fraud, Ms Waiguru propagated a narrative that he was a mole and saboteur of the government agenda.

“Soon after, I was hurriedly charged in court without due process and Mr Harakhe’s name soon went missing from the charge sheet,” he said.

The former PS was charged with trying to cover up a conspiracy to defraud the NYS of Sh695 million. He is accused of committing the offence by threatening and intimidating Mr Harakhe with dire consequences.

On the handover of DG at the NYS, Mr Mangiti said it was shoddily done despite the humongous size of the agency.