Kenya: Maasai Mara University VC Prof Mary Walingo in Hot Soup Over Sh177 Million Fraud

Nairobi — After months of police investigations, the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has ordered the arrest and prosecution of Maasai Mara University Vice-Chancellor Prof Mary Walingo over Sh177 million fraud.

The DPP wants Prof. Walingo charged alongside four other officials in the university withdrawing money irregularly in crimes dating back to 2016.

Haji said he is satisfied with the findings of investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) which placed Prof. Walingo at the centre of the heist.

“Due to the unscrupulous withdrawal activities of irregular withdrawal of funds without accounting for the same, the Masai Mara University suffered a loss of approximately Sh177,007,754,” the DPP said in a statement issued on Monday night.

Also indicted is Prof. Walingo’s driver Noor Hassan Abdi, Ag Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs Prof. John Almadi Obere, Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration, Finance and Planning Prof. Simon Kasaine Ole Seno and Finance Officer Anaclet Okumu.

While the DCI established evidence that the money was withdrawn, the DPP said there is no supporting document for expenditure.

The money, the DPP, said was withdrawn upon directions of finance officers and would eventually find its way to the Vice-Chancellor through proxies.

All the transactions, investigations revealed, were not recorded in the university’s Enterprise Resource Planning system.

“This was done deliberately to try conceal their activities,” the DPP said, citing findings of the investigations.