NYS scandal: Court extends orders stopping Sh6.2b payments to ghost suppliers linked to Gethi

Court has extended orders stopping the payment of Sh6.2 billion to firms linked to businessman Ben Gethi Wangui and others over alleged ghost supplies at the National Youth Service until March 3, 2026.

The Anti-Corruption High Court has extended orders stopping the payment of Sh6.2 billion to firms linked to businessman Ben Gethi Wangui and others over alleged ghost supplies at the National Youth Service (NYS) until March 3, 2026.

Justice Benjamin Musyoki on Monday, February 2, 2026, gave Gethi, his six companies, and several NYS officials who did not attend court seven days to file their responses to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) lawsuit.

The judge, however, declined an application by one of the supplier companies, Liz Link General Suppliers, owned by Elizabeth Wangechi, seeking to lift the interim orders pending the hearing of the matter.

"The interim orders in place are hereby extended until March 3, 2026, when the case will be mentioned," Justice Musyoki ordered.

The judge further ordered all parties in the case to file their responses and written submissions, as the matter will be determined by way of submission.

EACC wants the interim orders issued pending the hearing of their petition seeking to have the payments declared illegal and fraudulent and removed from state systems.

The commission, through its lawyer Irene Cherono, further informed the court that over 1500 vouchers, which had been released to NYS in December 2025 had been returned and are in EACC possession.

READ: The link between Ben Gethi and NYS corruption riddles

"We have received responses from multiple defendants, except Gethi and his companies and some NYS officials listed in the court papers. We are also seeking to file a further affidavit and submissions. The interim orders should be extended," Cherono told the court.

Lawyer Mutua, holding brief for Lawyer Cecil Miller representing Liz Link General Suppliers, opposed the extension of interim orders.

"We are opposed to the interim orders being extended, having complied with court directions to return the vouchers to EACC. We filed grounds of opposition," Mutua argued.

Ben Gethi and his advocates did not attend the court proceedings.

In December last year, the court issued the orders following an application by EACC, which argued that the payments were fraudulent and illegal, as no goods had been supplied to NYS between 2013 and 2016.

"Pending the inter partes hearing of the application, the 1st to 6th defendants, by themselves, their agents, servants, successors in title, or personal representatives, are hereby restrained from claiming payment of Sh6,167,797,655 from NYS based on payment vouchers with annexures serialized as S/No 000001–002901," Justice Lucy Njuguna who has now been appointed as Court of appeal Judge ordered.

Among those barred from claiming the payments are businessman Gethi with his six companies, namely Schoolwork Enterprises, Newtool Mart Trading, Ratego Technologies, Realtool Trading, Comptool Trading, Horizon Limited, and Tison Limited, for purported supplies including boots, cooking oil, baked beans, sugar, rakes, helmets, T-shirts, army biscuits, and fuel.

Also restrained are Elizabeth Wangeci Ngugi, associated with Liz Link General Suppliers, and Susan Nyambura Mburu, linked to Link General and Jimchar Enterprises Limited, all listed as the 1st to 6th defendants.

The court further issued an order barring NYS bosses, agents, or servants from effecting the payment of over Sh6.2 billion regarding the supply of goods by the companies.

The orders were issued after EACC filed a suit following investigations into alleged irregularities in payment claims submitted to NYS.

In the suit papers, the commission said that private suppliers submitted a total of 277 Local Purchase Orders (LPOs), delivery notes, and invoices demanding payment of over Sh6 billion, claiming payment for goods supposedly supplied between 2013 and 2016.

"Our investigations established that the 1st to 6th Defendants in connivance with the 7th to 15th Defendants, taking advantage of their positions as employees of NYS, contrived a fraudulent scheme to embezzle public funds allocated to NYS through fictitious procurement contracts," EACC states in its papers.

The EACC informed the court that businessman Gethi alone, through six entities, collectively claims a total of Sh3.4 billion for the purported supply of various items ranging from ankle-high boots, cooking oil, baked beans, sugar, jerseys, army biscuits, and T-shirts.

Court documents have exposed a sprawling web of alleged fraudulent payment claims worth over Sh6.1 billion submitted to NYS between 2013 and 2015 by companies linked to businessman Gethi and his associates for goods allegedly not supplied.

Among the claims detailed in the court papers, Newtool Mart Trading, linked to Gethi, allegedly supplied 128,200 ankle-high boots at Sh2,877 each, totalling Sh368.9 million between January 2014 and September 2015.

According to EACC, the cumulative value of the disputed payment claims across all companies amounts to Sh6,167,797,655, with investigations indicating that the goods were never supplied to NYS.

Investigations revealed that the LPOs, goods received notes, stock control cards, and inspection forms were falsified, with no deliveries made to NYS Headquarters in Nairobi or sub-units.

ALSO READ: Why court blocked Sh6.2bn NYS payments linked to Ben Gethi

According to EACC, NYS officials colluded with the companies to produce counterfeit documents, and records were manipulated to show nonexistent deliveries.

"The purported supply of goods was based on LPOs allegedly issued by NYS, but investigations show that 248 LPOs and S13 forms attached to the payment vouchers were not printed by the Government Printer nor issued to NYS," EACC lawyer Cherono informed the court.

The commission further alleged that the then Director of Finance, Mr Samwel Mudanyi Wachenje, abused his office by signing 245 out of 277 LPOs, despite knowing them to be fictitious.

All NYS employees were accused of colluding with Gethi and his associates to falsify accountable documents, including LPOs, goods received notes, stock control cards, and inspection forms, despite no deliveries, inspections, or distribution to sub-units taking place.

The implicated officials include Wachenje, Bernard Kipkoech Yatich, Bernard Nzioka Kioko, Julius Nyadimo Airo, John Nganga Gicharu, Titus Trouble Libondo, Isaac Wafula Kundu, Jane Wangechi Gichuki, and Chemoss Kororia Ndiema.

The EACC further contends that upon presentation of the falsified LPOs, delivery notes, and invoices, payment vouchers were prepared for signature by various NYS officers, including the Accounting Officer, to facilitate the disbursement of funds to the companies controlled by Gethi, Wangeci, and Nyambura, among others.

According to court documents, EACC launched the probe after a formal request from the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Geoffrey Ruku.

The ministry flagged multiple payment claims submitted to NYS by alleged suppliers and requested verification of the legitimacy of the demands.

The EACC is now seeking various orders, including barring NYS from honouring the payment vouchers and effecting payment to the defendant companies, and declarations that the same are illegal and fraudulent.

"A declaration that the invoices, delivery notes and Local Purchase Orders leading to the Claim for Sh6,167,797,655.00 by the 1st to 6th Defendants are fraudulent, illegal, null and void," EACC seeks.

The commission also seeks the 277 payment vouchers together with the documents attached to alleged fictitious contracts and deletion of the entries of the same claims totaling Sh6,167,797,655.00 from Pending Bills records at NYS.

However, Gethi and his associates have also filed an application in court seeking to set aside orders restraining them from claiming and receiving over Sh6 billion from NYS.

Several companies argue that the orders were "draconian" and issued without disclosure of material facts, and threaten their right to be paid for goods allegedly supplied to NYS.

Gethi and co-private suppliers further argue that EACC is seeking to preserve funds that do not exist, as no money has left the Treasury, and the vouchers remain in the commission's possession.

They accuse EACC of presenting allegations as facts in court, despite no trial or DPP-approved charges, and note that under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, freezing orders can only apply to existing property.

The case is set for mention on March 3, 2026.