Finland scholarship debacle blights Mandago political rise

He has been viewed as among possible successors to pick the political mantle from President William Ruto in Rift Valley but the botched Uasin Gishu Finland scholarship is threatening Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago’s political ambitions.

 The former governor is on the spot after the Uasin Gishu County Assembly ad-hoc committee, which investigated the scholarship scam, found out that three senior officers during Mandago’s administration were responsible for the mess as they made themselves signatories of the fund to enrich themselves. The officials withdrew millions of shillings on diverse dates and ostensibly used the money for personal gain.

 Mandago was last week arrested by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and subsequently arraigned in a Nakuru Court over the loss of more than Sh800 million meant for hundreds of students who are still stranded at home.

 People Daily established that the arrest caught Mandago off-guard as he was already set to make a presentation at the eighth Devolution Conference on the day when by President Ruto was chief guest.

 Mandago’s tribulations has put him on a collision with President Ruto who has been viewed as having a frosty relationship with.

 The Senator has maintained his innocence over the botched scholarship which has seen the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) roll out investigations into the matter.

Mission meant well

 Mandago has defended himself from the accusations arguing that he meant well for the children from Uasin Gishu wishing to further their studies abroad when he came up with the programme.

 “I could not have started this programme with bad intentions. I started it because I believed it was going to transform lives,” said Mandago during a forum with the affected students and parents last week.

According to Mandago, when he handed over the programme to Governor Jonathan Bii’s administration, there was more than Sh104 million in bank accounts under the overseas education trust.

Bii has however denied this position, maintaining that the account only had Sh1.8 million, with a deficit of Sh84 million when he took over.

During the conference, a tough President Ruto who seemed to have been referring to Mandago lashed out at leaders he said were responsible for the lost funds meant for students who were to go Finland.

“We will not protect any government official involved in graft. Everybody will carry their own cross. I know many children are at home despite their parents selling property to finance their education. We will do all within our means to address their plight,” said President Ruto.

 On Thursday, Mandago and two of his co-accused were released on a bond of Sh2 million with a surety of the same amount or a cash bail of Sh500,000. Appearing before a Nakuru court, Senior Principal Magistrate Alloyce Ndege ruled that the three return later for plea-taking.

The Senator is among three others in the spotlight over the Finland and Canada Overseas Education Programme, which has been mired in scandal. The three include ex-officials Joseph Maritim (first respondent), Meshack Rono (second respondent), and Joshua Lelei (third respondent).

Arrest warrant out

Maritim, who was a no-show at the hearing because he is currently out of the country, still has an arrest warrant against him.

They are accused of conspiring to steal Sh1.1 billion from a Kenya Commercial Bank account in Eldoret registered under the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund, which was intended for overseas university fees for scholarship students.

After appearing before the DCI on Wednesday, the Senator was grilled before being transferred to the Central Police Station in Nakuru East on Wednesday evening, where he spent the night.

On Friday, Mandago found himself in unfamiliar territory after he was heckled by an irate crowd in Eldoret.

The Senator was among leaders who had made a stopover at the famous Silver Line roundabout to greet wananchi but the residents hurled unprintable words at him forcing him to speed off as the situation threatened to get out of hand.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has since commenced investigation into alleged embezzlement of more than Sh837 million by officials of the Uasin Gishu County Government.

 The funds were collected from parents for the facilitation of Tertiary Education in Finland and Canada during the Financial Year 2021/2022.  The Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund Account was opened in May 2021 and by December 2022 a total of Sh957,167,143 had been credited to the account by parents.

 People Daily established that a total of Sh257,326,740 was debited from the Uasin Gishu Overseas Account to beneficiaries indicated as agents and or intermediaries for onward transmission to Universities in Finland and Canada.

 People Daily established that Sh20.9 million had been overpaid to universities in Finland.

EACC detectives have since raided the homes of three signatories of the Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Trust and seized documents in the probe of loss of funds meant to airlift 202 students to three Finnish Universities.

In the arrangement, each parent of the students managed to raise Sh1.19 million as school fees for the county government to ensure that they are placed at universities in Finland.

 The parents also raised Sh100,000 (air ticket), three months accommodation (Sh80,000), insurance (Sh30,000), visa (Sh49,000) and Covid-19 certificate Sh5,000.