Public Service and Youth PS Lillian Omollo who stepped aside said her department paid Sh9 billion to suppliers as pending bills from her predecessors.

Omollo told the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee on Friday her office paid the suppliers Sh6.2 billion in Financial Year 2016-17 and Sh2.8 billion in 2017-18.

She said she paid an additional Sh6.6 billion to cohorts, an amount that had accrued for three years before she assumed office in December 18, 2015.

The accounting officer then was PS Peter Mangiti, the holder of authority to incur expenditure was then NYS DG Githinji and CS Anne Waiguru, Omollo told the committee chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi.

“The situation we inherited in NYS when we took offi ce from December 18, 2015, and for director general in January 2016, was one of absolute confusion in all matters relating to procurement and fi nancial statements,” she said.

Omollo said some of the 1,600 suppliers who submitted delivery notes to her office have been threatening her over the pending bills.

“We spend sleepless nights over their threats, consistent calls and intimidation. This has become part of our daily way of life. We have 1,600 delivery notes from suppliers whom we have listed, but if you have not followed the procurement process, I won’t pay,” she said.

Yesterday, Omollo rubbished claims that NYS lost Sh9 billion, saying that she has, together with Ndubai, revolutionised the service and sealed all loopholes for misappropriation of funds.

A loss of Sh9 billion would mean NYS was technically and operationally closed for the two financial years, she said.

“If the colossal amounts of money have been lost and were completely undetected by the Auditor General’s office, it indeed raises a lot of questions, which we too are keen to understand and unravel.”

She said the Auditor General had given her department a clean bill of health in its 2016-17 report.

The report stated in part: “...based on the audit procedures performed, I can confirm that nothing has come to my attention to cause me to believe that public money has [not] been applied lawfully and in an effective way.”

No doubt about that, thats why its Lilian on the hot seat not Sicily.