How Mandago's former chief officer sneaked out of the country before arrest

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has reported that one of the suspects wanted in connection to the alleged misappropriation of the Uasin Gishu County Overseas Education programme fled the country. 

The DCI released a statement on Wednesday, August 16, following the arrest of Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, the programme’s Deputy Director and Trustee Meshack Rono and Joshua Kipkemboi. 

In the statement, detectives noted that Mandago’s former chief officer Joseph Maritim fled the county after investigations into the alleged scam. 

“The senator was arrested alongside two top county officials Joshua Lelei and Meshack Rono over the scam, where parents lost over Sh800 million. 

“A fourth suspect Joseph Maritim, is believed to have sneaked out of the country at the height of the investigation,” the statement read in part. 

The investigators said the suspects presented themselves to the police after cat and mouse games.

“Sleuths from the Financial Investigations Unit launched a manhunt for the three who engaged them in cat and mouse games before the suspects opted to surrender when they ran out of ideas. 

“The three are being held at Nakuru Central police station pending arraignment in court tomorrow morning,” the DCI statement said.

READ: Mercy Tarus shares how parents lost money in botched Uasin Gishu overseass education scam 

The suspects are set to be charged with conspiracy to steal from an account registered under Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund between March 2021 and September 2021.

The investigators alleged that Joseph Maritim, Meshack Rono and Joshua Kipkemboi withdrew money from the accounts on different dates for personal use. 

The former governor faces an additional charge of abuse of office for misrepresenting the Uasin Gishu County Overseas Education programme as a full scholarship.