Mandago Arrested Moments After Ruto Response To Scholarship Saga

Uasin Gishu senator Jackson Mandago has been arrested.

A report by Citizen TV indicated that the senator was arrested in Eldoret over the controversial Finland and Canada Education programme.

The arrest comes moments after President William Ruto warned those who stole millions of shillings meant for providing scholarships to students from Uasin Gishu County that no gaps will be left in the quest to secure justice for those affected.

President William Ruto with Governor Mandago during the service on February 19, 2018. /FILE

Ruto spoke on Wednesday, August 16 in Eldoret ahead of the official opening of the 10th Devolution Conference where he assured residents and parents in particular that the monies they paid to the county will be recovered by anti-corruption agencies.

"There are parents who gave monies which no one knows where they went. If there is anyone who misused that money, that person should arrange to repay in advance or he will be in trouble.

"There is no room for tolerance in terms of the money from someone who sold his livestock or farmlands. He or she must be refunded," Ruto ordered.

The parents had earlier appealed to the Senate and President Ruto for help to be refunded the money they had paid to the county government.

"I will not allow anyone to steal from our children. The money will be returned to the parents," Ruto assured the parents who were cheering him up.

He further acknowledged the outrage the scandal caused in Uasin Gishu County where many parents are struggling to make ends meet.

Former governor and now Senator Mandago has been accused of conspiring to steal Ksh1 billion from an account domiciled at a local bank in Eldoret registered under the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund meant for overseas university fees for students under Uasin Gishu County Overseas Education Programme.

Earlier, a warrant of arrest was issued against him with the National Police Service (NPS) revealing that he went into hiding since Tuesday, August 15 while revealing that it was in the process of executing a warrant of arrest issued against him.

NPS also appealed to Kenyans to provide information regarding his whereabouts through the communication channels it provided.

Hours before the warrant of arrest was issued, Mandago revealed that he was ready to surrender to the police if circumstances require him to do so and that he met with the leadership of the parents who are demanding refunds from the controversial programme.

"There are rumours all over Eldoret Town that DCI Officers have been looking for me the whole night. As a law-abiding citizen, I am available once summoned.

"I have met with the leadership of parents and agreed on the way forward as per their press statement issued last evening," he tweeted.

However, Mercy Tarus, one of the students who lost millions in the scholarship saga on Wednesday, August 16, announced that no one had been compensated yet despite Mandago's declaration.