Finland airlift plan had over Sh100m in bank, court told

From left to right: Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, Joshua Lelei and Meshack Rono before Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege on March 11, 2025. The three are charged with embezzlement of Sh1.1 billion in the Finland and Canada Education Programme Scandal case.[Kipsang Joseph, Standard.]

A bank statement produced in court yesterday revealed that Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii inherited a balance of Sh128 million in the county's Overseas Education Trust Fund account.

The statement from Kenya Commercial Bank showed that by November 4, 2022, the money raised by parents to cater for the education of their children was still in the account. Pauline Nafula, a witness, produced the statement when testifying before Nakuru Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege.

She testified that she paid over Sh1 million for her daughter Sharon Nafula to study Physiotherapy at Laurea University in Finland. She testified in the case facing Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and current and former county officials Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei.