Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago was Tuesday grilled by the Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives in relation to the Uasin Gishu scholarship scandal.
A section of parents in Uasin Gishu are demanding a refund of their monies after the plan to take their children to Finland and Canada for education flopped.
Currently, 233 students are studying in Finland and 45 in Canada.
"It is true that as part of this investigation, the Commission has today interviewed and recorded a Statement from the former Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Kiplagat Mandago who responded to a summons to appear before the Commission today from 8:00 am," EACC said in a statement on Tuesday evening.
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Mandago served as Governor of Uasin Gishu County when Overseas Trust Fund was conceptualized and operationalized in 2021.
As Governor, he also exercised oversight over the Department of Youth & Gender and Sports Affairs, where the program was domiciled. He is alleged to have played a key role in the adoption of the programme.
According to the EACC, they are investigating allegations of embezzlement of a whopping over Sh837,000,000 by officials of the Uasin Gishu county government.
The amount collected to fund tertiary education in Finland and Canada was given by parents in 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.
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.
Similarly, EACC says their probe also focuses on Sh57,538,429 withdrawn locally by the county officials appointed to manage the Trust Fund Account.
EACC says they are privy to allegations that some parents defaulted in making payments, which necessitated the use of funds for children who had not yet travelled to pay second-semester fees for those already in overseas universities
"All persons found culpable will be held to account. Even as investigations continue on the alleged violations of the law, EACC expects the County Government to take urgent and decisive administrative interventions, where appropriate, to address some of the complaints raised by parents which may not be under the purview of the matters under corruption or criminal investigations," the commission said.
