ODM demands justice for Uasin Gishu scholarship scandal victims

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has called for justice to be served upon victims of the scholarship saga that has plagued Uasin Gishu County in recent weeks.

In the scandal, former governor and now senator Jackson Mandago and two others, Joshua Lelei and Mishack Rono, are accused of siphoning Ksh.1.1 billion from the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund, which was intended for overseas university fees for scholarship students.

Through a statement on Tuesday, ODM condemned the incident, saying it believes it is not an isolated occurrence “but rather a reflection of a broader trend within the William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza political circle.”

“The Uasin Gishu student airlift scam is a grave violation of the public trust. We believe that this heinous act is not an anomaly, but rather indicative of a disturbing pattern of corruption and exploitation by Kenya Kwanza honchos,” said the Raila Odinga-led party.

The party called for a thorough and impartial investigation to uncover the truth and bring justice to the victims.

“It is imperative that the perpetrators of this deceitful scheme, including former Governor Jackson Mandago, be held accountable for their actions,” said ODM, “The affected families are not only deserving of restitution but also desire to see the rule of law upheld and justice served.”

So far, Senator Mandago, Rono and Maritim have been arraigned as hundreds of graduates affected and their parents demand refunds from the county government.

Mandago has already given a statement to detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to assist with the investigation. He has also been questioned by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) about his role in the program.