NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 16 – Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago on Wednesday skipped the official opening of Devolution Conference by President William Ruto amid pursuit by police for questioning over the Finland scholarship scandal.
Uasin Gishu is hosting the 10th devolution conference at the Eldoret Sports Grounds themed “10 Years of Devolution; The Present and the Future.”
Senator Mandago whom authorities claimed had gone missing since Tuesday has since been taken into custody after hours after National Police Service confirmed that it was in the process of executing a warrant of arrest issued against him.
The NPS had appealed for help from the members of the public in their efforts to track Senator Mandago.
President William Ruto has since broken his silence over the Finland and Canada scholarship scandal that has put the affected families on a collision course with the county’s top leadership.
Speaking in Eldoret town Ruto said that individuals found culpable of embezzling funds from parents and students must take responsibility for their actions.
The ongoing saga has been linked to Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, a close ally of President Ruto and three other individuals.
Nonetheless, the Head of State has made it clear that everyone involved in the scandal will be held to account.
“Kama kuna mtu alikula iyo pesa ajipange kulipa mapema ama ataingia taabani,” (Anyone who stole the hard-earned money earmarked for the education of the residents’ children should be prepared to reimburse all of the stolen sums to the last coin)
President Ruto promised to step in to offer financial support to the affected students upon the completion of the ongoing investigations into the saga that has put Senator Mandago and Governor John Bii on the receiving end of parents and students.
However, President Ruto emphasized that his commitment to providing financial assistance will not shield those responsible for the scholarship scam
“I will not allow them(suspects) to get away with this crime,” Ruto asserted labeling their actions as deeply embarrassing.
Angry parents and their children confronted top leadership of the county on August 8 seeking to know where their monies went.
The scholarship saga put the county on the spotlight after it emerged parents paid approximately Sh200 million.
“It is so painful. You have given us a lot of information. We don’t want more information. Give my mother back her money,” a student said during a consultation forum with Mandago and Bii.
“Our parents are sick and depressed. I went to school with your kids who are currently overseas. There are students who are also on anti-depressants. You have given your children head starts unlike us,” another student lamented.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations commenced investigations into allegations of fraud involving a scholarship program to Finland in July.
“All aggrieved victims are requested to present themselves at the DCI County Headquarters in Eldoret, on July 18 for statement recording and other investigative procedures in order to bring the suspects to book,” said DCI boss Mohammed Amin.
Bii has distanced himself from the saga and asked his predecessor, Mandago, to come out and explain what happened.
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