Finland Education Fund Scandal: Uasin Gishu Leaders Admit to Receiving Overseas Travel Allowances
Three current and former Uasin Gishu County officials, Joel Chelule, Susan Keino, and Loice Jelimo, admitted to receiving substantial allowances from the Overseas Education Fund programme, as reported in court on July 2, 2024.
However, they denied being members of the fund responsible for misappropriating Sh1.1 billion intended for the Finland Education Programme.
Their testimonies were given in the case against Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, Meshack Rono, and Joshua Lelei, who are accused of abuse of office, conspiracy to steal, and embezzlement of the funds meant for overseas scholarships for approximately 200 students.
Chelule’s Testimony
Joel Chelule, the chairperson of the Uasin Gishu County Revolving Fund, testified before Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege.
He admitted to receiving a per diem of Sh70,000 for travel to Finland in 2021 with then-Governor Mandago, who signed a memorandum of understanding with three universities concerning the programme.
Under questioning by defense lawyers Stephen Kibungei and Fidel Limo, Chelule was unable to clarify whether he traveled in his capacity as the chair of the trustee.
He confessed that he realized he had no designated role during the nine-day trip from August 12 to August 21, 2021, despite spending over Sh700,000.
Chelule further claimed that he discovered he and his colleagues were listed as trustees, with their names used to open a bank account and their signatures forged during a meeting on October 3, 2022.
He admitted to chairing the meeting and receiving Sh36,000 for facilitation on the same day. When questioned by Limo, Chelule defended his acceptance of the facilitation despite denouncing the trustee role.
Jelimo and Keino’s Statements
Loice Jelimo, a former member, admitted her signature was forged on the minutes of April 23, 2021, which purportedly appointed her as a trustee and opened the overseas account.
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She also acknowledged receiving at least Sh33,000 during the October meeting, despite her contract as a board member ending on May 14, 2022.
Susan Keino, the vice chairperson, testified that she received an allowance when she traveled to Finland on May 15, 2022, a day after her contract expired. She stated she was unsure about her role during the trip.
Finland Education Fund Scandal: Uasin Gishu Leaders Admit to Receiving Overseas Travel Allowances
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