Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii has once again been drawn into the controversial Finland education scholarship saga after a witness demanded that he be summoned to explain his role in the matter.
Mr Milton Kipkoech Nyangengo, a guardian to one of the victims of the botched Uasin Gishu County overseas education programme, told the court on Monday that he was influenced by Governor Bii’s action of signing an agreement with a Canadian university to join the programme.
Mr Kipkoech, who sponsored his nephew for a nursing course in Canada, said he lost Sh650,000 after the kin failed to travel.
Testifying before Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege, Mr Kipkoech said he was motivated to enroll his nephew after seeing on social media that Governor Bii had purportedly signed an agreement with Northern Lights College in Canada for a scholarship programme.
According to him, he was aware of the programme during the tenure of former governor Jackson Mandago, now Senator, but did not consider enrolling his nephew at the time. However, the photo of Governor Bii in Canada convinced him the programme was genuine, prompting him to mobilise funds.
“Last year, I saw on social media that Governor Bii had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Northern Lights College in Canada. In the photo, I recognised one Lelei who had accompanied the governor to Canada. I later met him in Eldoret town,” Mr Kipkoech testified.
While in Eldoret, Mr Kipkoech said Mr Lelei advised him to visit the county offices where he received a letter dated August 30, 2022, referencing fee payment and addressed to the KCB Eldoret East branch manager.
From right: Meshack Rono, Joshua Lelei and Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago who are battling charges relating to the alleged misappropriation of Sh 1 billion county overseas education scholarship program when they appeared before the trial court in Nakuru.
Photo credit: Joseph Openda | Nation
Mr Mandago and Mr Lelei, together with another suspect, are already facing charges of conspiracy to misappropriate Sh1 billion meant for the county’s overseas education scholarship program in Finland and Canada.
The witness said the letter he received was signed by Joseph Maritim, the principal trustee of the Uasin Gishu Overseas Training, dated November 2, 2022.
He then deposited Sh650,000 into the trust account and was informed that his nephew would travel in January 2023.
“That never materialised. Since then, the county officials have been tossing me around and I have heard claims that the money we paid was misused by officials,” he told the court.
Mr Kipkoech further said he wanted Governor Bii summoned to testify alongside the three other suspects.
“I would want the court to summon Governor Bii to shed more light on the MoU and what exactly happened to the programme,” he said during cross-examination by defense lawyer Stephen Kibungei.
Mr Kipkoech was the 121st witness to testify in the case, with 81 witnesses still lined up.
