Editor's Review

“It's contemptible that some of my friends assume they have the moral authority to politic before repaying money they conned students under the Finland Scholarship scam."

Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi has reignited the debate on the Finland scholarship scandal that was linked to Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago.

In a statement on Thursday, May 30, Sudi said Mandago lacks the moral authority to play politics since he has yet to compensate victims of the scholarship scam.

Sudi claimed that he has repeatedly asked the former Uasin Gishu governor to join him in raising money for the affected students, but he has ignored him.

“It's contemptible that some of my friends assume they have the moral authority to politic before repaying money they conned students under the Finland Scholarship scam. Severally I've asked them to join me to raise money for these students but all they offer is word salads,” said the Kapseret MP.

Mandago on Saturday last week called out Sudi over disrespecting Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The former county boss asked the Kapseret MP and other leaders to stop politicking and respect the presidency.

File image of Oscar Sudi

On August 16, 2023, Mandago was arrested for allegedly embezzling Sh.1.1 billion meant to fly out more than 125 students for higher education to Canada and Finland.

He was however released alongside his co-accused Joshua Lelei and Mishack Rono on a Sh500,000 bail or an alternative bond of Sh2 million.

The plea-taking session of the case failed to take off after the Judge said it would not happen when the first accused person Joseph Maritim is on the run.

The court ruled that the case be put on hold until Maritim is arrested and charged alongside the three.

In December 2023 the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) approved Mandago and his three co-accused to be charged with 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.