The former Uasin Gishu Governor is facing serious charges related to the alleged mismanagement of Ksh.1.1 billion that was intended to fund scholarships for students to study in Finland and Canada.
Mandago, along with his co-accused—Joseph Maritim, Joshua Lelei, Meshack Rono, and Jacob Sisey, who is the Director of Skill Dove Ltd—are accused of embezzling the funds that were meant to support over 125 students.
The charges against them include conspiracy to commit economic crime, abuse of office, breach of trust, fraudulent acquisition of public property, and presenting false documents, as stated in Section 353 of the Penal Code.
The scandal began when the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched an investigation into the scholarship program initiated by the Uasin Gishu County government during Mandago’s tenure as Governor.
The investigation revealed that the Ksh.1.1 billion was deposited into a special account, known as the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund, set up in May 2021.
By December 2022, parents had deposited Ksh.957,167,143 into this account, expecting the funds to be used for their children’s education abroad. However, it is alleged that Ksh.257,326,740 was wrongfully deducted from the account.
This money was supposed to cover the travel and educational expenses of the students going to Finland and Canada.
As part of the ongoing legal proceedings, affected individuals Mercy Tarus and Joel Koech have been summoned to appear in court to provide their testimonies.
Their statements are expected to shed light on the handling of the funds and the alleged irregularities in the scholarship program.
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