A fresh controversy has erupted at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development following a whistle-blower petition questioning the integrity of a recent appointment a Kenyan to a top youth sector position.
The dispute has triggered a hot debate, revived old allegations and reawakened divisions within the ministry and the former National Youth Council.
The petition, authored by Dr Ogwang Liboni Okwirot and dated 11 November 2025 has been circulated to some of the highest offices in government, including the Vice President, Prime Minister, Attorney General and Inspectorate of Government.
In the letter, he calls for an immediate halt or judicial review of the appointment of Kenyan Diana Evusa Libese as Programme Manager for Youth.
Dr Okwirot’s protest hinges on concerns surrounding the ongoing merger of agencies under the Rationalisation of Government Agencies programme. He claims that certain officials have taken advantage of the transition to insert unqualified individuals into strategic positions within the ministry.
He argues that the vacancy for Programme Manager was originally intended for staff of the former National Youth Council under an internal advert issued as No. 4/2024.
The whistle-blower alleges that the recruitment process was manipulated to favour Evusa, whom lacks the necessary qualifications and experience required for the senior role. He insists that the post, graded at U1, was unfairly awarded despite the availability of a more experienced and better-qualified candidate, Agnes Angiro Ogwang.
He cites her extensive curriculum vitae, which includes an MBA, a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and nearly two decades of public service, most notably as Executive Secretary of the National Youth Council.
In his petition, Dr Okwirot notes that senior government officials had reportedly acknowledged Angiro’s suitability for the position during earlier engagements.
He further alleges that the appointment of Evusa was engineered by senior ministry figures, accusing them of fast-tracking her application, ignoring established recruitment procedures and clearing her for publicly funded academic programmes to enhance her eligibility.
He describes the incident as a serious breach of public service standards.
“This is corruption of the highest order,” he writes in the petition, insisting that the irregularities undermine the purpose of the rationalisation process and erode public trust in the ministry.
As the new claims gain traction, attention has shifted back to unresolved accusations that emerged during Angiro’s previous tenure at the National Youth Council. Youth representatives at the time accused her of financial mismanagement and administrative irregularities. They cited issues related to her salary, expenditure reporting, procurement decisions and the length of her acting term at the council’s helm.
The youth leaders had argued that with an annual budget exceeding four billion shillings, the council needed stronger accountability mechanisms, warning that resources were being drained by salaries and travel-related expenditures at the expense of critical programmes for young people across the country.
The renewed tension has left the ministry grappling with a big rift as stakeholders await a formal response from the responsible authorities. The petition has intensified scrutiny into the recruitment processes within the Gender Ministry and raised questions about whether the current restructuring is being handled according to the principles of transparency and merit.
