Mandago Walks Free as Court Finds Prosecution Case Too Thin

A Nakuru Magistrate's Court has acquitted Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and his two co-accused in the KSh1.1 billion Finland and Canada overseas scholarship case, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them.

Senior Principal Magistrate Alloyce Ndege delivered the ruling on 23 July, bringing to an end a case that has been before the courts for more than three years. The court found that the evidence presented by the prosecution did not meet the legal threshold required to sustain the charges.

Mandago had been charged alongside former Uasin Gishu County officials Joshua Lelei and Meshack Rono over allegations of conspiracy, abuse of office and the alleged misappropriation of funds collected under the county's overseas education programme. The initiative was designed to facilitate students' admission to universities in Finland and Canada, but later became controversial after parents and students reported paying millions of shillings while many beneficiaries were left stranded abroad or failed to secure the promised opportunities.

In his ruling, Magistrate Ndege noted that although the prosecution had called 138 witnesses, it had failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused persons. Consequently, the court dismissed all charges and acquitted the three.

Speaking after the judgment, Mandago welcomed the decision, describing the case as a difficult period that had subjected him to years of court appearances. He also called on beneficiaries who he said received financial support from the education trust using funds meant for other students to refund the money to assist affected families.

Despite the acquittal, the overseas scholarship programme remains under public scrutiny, with many parents and students continuing to seek accountability and compensation for losses incurred during the initiative.