Youth Fund to throw away Sh208m egg hatching machines

Taxpayers are set to lose Sh208 million that was used by the government to purchase 1,050 egg hatching machines in 2012 as they have become obsolete.

Youth Enterprise Development Fund CEO Josiah Moriasi on Thursday told the National Assembly’s committee on Special Funds that they had made a resolution for the hatcheries to be disposed.

The hatcheries were to be to be issued to five youth groups in 210 constituencies for poultry business, but ended up gathering dust in stores in Kasarani and Mombasa.

Mr Moriasi said the fund had received clearance from the Treasury to dispose the machines but later the head of public service stopped the process until the merger of the three funds is complete.

Mr Moriasi said that despite the machines being obsolete, the fund is still paying Sh1 million annually storage fee to the Kasarani stadia management.

This means that the fund has so far spent Sh7 million on the hatcheries which were to empower the youth economically.

“The machines are there at Kasarani and we continue to get invoices from the stadia management to pay storage fee. We will dispose the machines even at a lower price,” Mr Moriasi said.