Kenyans protest against high-level corruption

Hundreds of protesters have marched through the streets of Nairobi against increased cases of high- level corruption.

Protesters are angered by runaway corruption and that no high-ranking official has been jailed. Twenty-four civil servants and business people were charged on Tuesday with involvement in the theft of nearly $100 million of public funds and will stay in custody pending a June 4 hearing on their application for bail.

The suspects, who include the public service ministry’s principal secretary, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to magistrate Douglas Ogoti to charges that relate to theft at the government’s National Youth Service (NYS). The NYS is a state agency that trains young people and deploys them to work on projects ranging from construction to traffic control.

President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to stamp out graft when he was first elected in 2013, but critics say he has been slow to pursue top officials in his government. No high-profile convictions have occurred since he took office.

Kenyan authorities will investigate 10 financial institutions suspected of handling funds that were stolen from the government’s National Youth Service (NYS).