The office of the Director of Public Prosecution has approved the arrest and prosecution of Uasin Gishu senator Jackson Mandago over the Finland and Canada Scholarship scam.
The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission had forwarded an inquiry to ODPP, to have Mandago and four other senior county officials prosecuted for the embezzlement of funds and corruption in the scholarship programme.
The five are accused of swindling Kshs1.1 billion that was meant to sponsor 125 students from Uasinu Gishu county for higher education in universities in Finland and Canada
Other charges they are facing include; “conspiracy to commit an offense of economic crime, abuse of office, breach of trust, fraudulent acquisition of public property and uttering a false document contrary to Section 353 of the Penal Code.”
Manadago has been accused alongside Joseph Maritim, Joshua Lelei, Meshack Rono and Jacob Sisey, the Director of Skill Dove Ltd.
“We have recommended him to be charged and have received the go-ahead from DPP because we found something about him,” EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak said.
EACC established that ” Ksh.284.4 million was paid to universities in Finland and Canada, Ksh.315.9 million paid to foreign agencies, and Ksh.50.7 million paid to local agencies. Another Ksh.308.9 million and Ksh.74.2 million was however withdrawn in cash.”
Manadago was also arrested and grilled over the scandal in mid August this year but was later released on a Kshs bail on Kshs500,000 and an alternative of Kshs2 million bond.
Speaking about the scholarship scandal previously, President William Ruto had urged those responsible to refund money to the victims.
According to him, it was embarrassing and he vowed that such will not happen again under his watch.
