Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Mandago
On Wednesday, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) issued a directive for the apprehension of Jackson Mandago, the ex-governor of Uasin Gishu, along with three other former officials. These individuals are connected to the scholarship fraud involving Finland and Canada.
Insiders verified with GossipA2Z that an arrest warrant has been issued by a court in Nakuru. This comes in the aftermath of a controversy where a scholarship program led to parents losing significant amounts of money in savings. The incident triggered a strong public reaction, leading to demands from the Kenyan populace for legal measures to be taken against ex-county officials involved.
County officials have come under public scrutiny following allegations by parents of students sent to foreign countries. The parents claim that the officials misappropriated millions of dollars raised for the program.
Additional high-ranking authorities charged with defrauding parents consist of Joseph Kipkemoi Maritim, Meshak Rono, and Joshua Kipkemoi Lelei, all of whom held positions within the regional division.
“There is a warrant of arrest in court. Either he presents himself at the DCI or we arrest him. There is nothing else we can say on the matter,” DCI boss Amin Mohamed told GossipA2Z.
Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether the ex-Governor and the present Senator of Uasin Gishu will comply with the directive to turn themselves into the police.
Mandago’s phone rang shortly after the news was announced, and the DCI verified that they were in search of him.
The scholarship controversy was exposed in September 2021, as parents of students chosen for the scholarship initiative started raising concerns about the absence of communication regarding their kids’ travel plans.
ALSO READ: Senator Mandago’s DCI Statement on Finland Scholarship Issue
Upon reaching out to the county authorities, they were informed that the scholarship fund had been mishandled, resulting in insufficient funds to finance the students’ trip to Finland.
A probe conducted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that parents had contributed a sum of Ksh957 million towards the scholarship initiative.
It was further confirmed that a total of Ksh257 million had been utilized to cover the costs of student’s education and related fees. The remaining amount of Ksh700 million was purportedly misappropriated by county officials and their affiliates.
The EACC and DCI have subsequently documented statements from various people related to the scandal, which include ex-Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, his deputy Daniel Chemno, and multiple county officials.
The accused individuals have refuted the allegations. The Uasin Gishu County Scholarship Scandal has elicited broad feelings of resentment and exasperation within the Uasin Gishu community.
Several parents alleged that they’ve lost the money they had saved over their lifetimes, and their kids are now stuck in Finland and Canada.
The controversy has additionally harmed the image of the county administration and its officials, as young individuals have openly assumed roles in leading Uasin Gishu County.
Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Mandago
