Investigations into the alleged embezzlement of Sh837 million raised by parents in Uasin Gishu county for their children's fees abroad are almost complete, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has confirmed.
The commission made the revelation on Tuesday in response to a concern raised by lawyer Donald Kipkorir on Twitter over the agony parents and students affected by the alleged corruption are experiencing.
"Both parents and children have gone into depression. Who will listen to their cries? By law, EACC has jurisdiction to bring the thieves and conspirators to account," his tweet read in part.
EACC responded to the tweet saying investigations into the alleged theft of the funds by Uasin Gishu county officials are nearing conclusion.
"The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, fully aware of the immense public interest and need for expeditious justice in this matter, has prioritised the investigation that commenced in March 2023," the Commission said.
"The Commission is now at the tail end of the probe and will in the coming weeks submit the resultant file to the Director of Public Prosecutions with appropriate recommendations."
On Monday, parents and students broke into tears during a meeting with county officials including Governor Jonathan Bii and his predecessor Jackson Mandago, now the county senator.
Emotions ran high as some of the parents narrated how they sold their property or used retirement benefits to pay for their children to study in Finland.
"I paid Sh2.5 million for my two children to go to Finland but two years down the line we are all at home rendered poor and suffering from depression," one of the parents Edward Kiptek said.
The funds were collected from parents for the facilitation of Tertiary Education in Finland and Canada during the 2021-22 financial year.
In its status update on the case on August 1, EACC said Sh257,326,740 was debited from the Uasin Gishu Overseas Account to beneficiaries indicated as agents and/or intermediaries for onward transmission to Universities in Finland and Canada.
It is said some parents defaulted on payments necessitating the use of funds for students that were yet to travel to pay for their second-semester fees.
The commission said the investigation will uncover whether theft occurred during the transaction.
EACC further revealed that investigations are focusing on Sh57,538,429 withdrawn locally by the county officials appointed to manage the Trust Fund Account.
The commission said currently, 233 students are studying in Finland while 45 are in Canada.
