Uasin Gishu senator and former governor Jackson Mandago have gone into hiding following an arrest warrant for his arrest over alleged involvement in the Finland scholarship scandal that saw parents and students lose millions, police said on Wednesday.
The National Police Service (NPS) noted in a statement that they could not reach the senator to execute an arrest warrant that was issued by a Nakuru court.
Mandago and three other former top officials have been accused of mismanaging millions of money that were collected from parents for a scholarship programme in Finland and Canada.
"The National Police Service is in the process of executing a Warrant of Arrest against Uasin Gishu Senator Hon. Jackson Mandago, who has gone underground since yesterday, and calls upon the Senator to present himself at the nearest police station," NPS appealed.
According to the charge sheet seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the Senator is facing charges of conspiracy to steal Ksh1.1 billion from funds meant for students' overseas study.
Efforts to reach him for comment after news of his arrest broke were unfruitful as his phone number was off.
"Jackson Kiplagat Mandago on diverse dates between March 1, 2021, and September 12, 2021, within Uasin Gishu County jointly with others not before the court, conspired to steal Ksh1.1 billion from an account in a local bank registered under Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund, meant for overseas university fees for students under the Uasin Gishu County Overseas Education Program," read part of the sheet.
The arrest follows weeks of protests from parents and students who were swindled after some sold their property and used savings to fund the programme.
Mandago on Wednesday morning had shared a tweet disclosing that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were after him.
"There are rumors 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 stated.
DCI Amin Mohammed confirmed the warrant of arrest issued against the lawmaker.
"There is a warrant of arrest in court. Either he presents himself at the DCI or we arrest him. There is nothing else we can say on the matter," Amin stated.
