The trial of Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, accused of fraud involving Sh1.1 billion, commenced on Tuesday at a Nakuru court after more than a year of delays.
John Barorot, the former Deputy Governor of Uasin Gishu County and the first witness among the 202 expected to testify, took the stand.
He informed Nakuru Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege that many parents affected by the controversial Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Trust Fund were too impoverished to maintain bank accounts.
Barorot explained that those seeking to send their children abroad through the program often had to fundraise within their communities to secure the necessary deposits for the trust fund.
“The Overseas Education Program was designed to alleviate the burden on parents who wanted to send their children abroad, many of whom did not even have bank accounts to provide statements,” he stated.
As the chairperson of a task force investigating the overseas education initiative, Barorot is testifying against Mandago, along with two former county officials, Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei, who are charged with conspiracy to defraud the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund of Sh1.1 billion.
A third suspect, Joseph Maritim, the principal trustee of the fund, is currently at large after reportedly fleeing to Canada in June of last year.
Mandago, Rono, and Lelei face seven additional counts, including conspiracy to steal, theft, abuse of office, and entering into a memorandum of understanding with various universities in Finland and Canada without proper resolution or approval from the county government.
These offenses are alleged to have occurred during Mandago’s tenure as Governor of Uasin Gishu, with his co-accused serving as senior officials in the county government.
During his testimony, Barorot revealed that the current Uasin Gishu Governor, Jonathan Bii, formed a task force to investigate the Overseas Education Program due to numerous complaints from parents demanding refunds.
He noted that many parents expressed their children’s distress over their inability to travel abroad, despite community fundraising efforts.
“Parents shared their children’s depression and shame, as they could not step outside due to the stigma of not traveling abroad after their families had organized fund drives,” Barorot told Magistrate Ndege.
He added that out of the 823 students whose parents deposited funds into the trust, less than half were able to travel abroad.
By the time the current administration intervened, many of those who had managed to go abroad were on the brink of deportation due to outstanding school fees.
The hearing continues today.
