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Kenyan Senator, Officials In Court Over Finland, Canada Scholarship Programme Scam

Kenyan Senator, Officials In Court Over Finland, Canada Scholarship Programme Scam
August 18, 2023

The scholarship saga put the county in the spotlight after it emerged that parents paid over $1million in exchange for the overseas scholarship programme.

A Kenyan high court has released on bail a Uasin Gishu country Senator Jackson Mandago and two top officials, Joshua Lelei and Meshack Rono,

 

An investigation by Kenyan authorities into a $7 million Finland Scholarship Programme scam, has led to the arrest of the three on Wednesday.

 

It was alleged that they conspired to steal about 1.1bn Kenyan shillings ($7.6m; £5.9m) from an account domiciled at the Kenya Commercial Bank in Eldoret registered under the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund. Meant to fund further education for Kenyan students in Finland and Canada.

 

The scholarship saga put the county in the spotlight after it emerged that parents paid over $1million in exchange for the overseas scholarship programme.

 

President William Ruto says the government will immediately facilitate local scholarships for students affected in the Finland Scholarship Programme fiasco. Adding that all the culprits in scholarship scandal must refund the cash, failure to which they will face the consequences.

 

The senator and his co-accused are expected to face 11 charges. The senator has previously denied misappropriating the money.

 

On Thursday a magistrate ruled the trial could not begin until all the four suspects were presented in court.

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