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The Nairobian

Student forgives those behind Sh1.1b overseas education scandal

Rift Valley

By Daniel Chege | Mar 14, 2025

Abel Kiprotich on March 13, 2025, before Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege, at Nakuru Law Courts. He testified that he had forgiven those involved in the alleged embezzlement of fees meant for studies in Finland in 2022. [Daniel Chege, Standard]

One of the students who was scheduled to fly out of the country under the Uasin Gishu County Overseas Education Fund Programme has told a Nakuru court that he has forgiven officials who allegedly embezzled Sh1.1 billion intended for their studies.

Despite his parents paying Sh1.292 million for his education abroad, Abel Kiprotich told Nakuru Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege that he has moved on.

Kiprotich brought some levity to the courtroom, sharing a humorous account of the events that led to the scandal.

He revealed that he wasn't even interested in the airlift program and it was his parents who encouraged him to apply.

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He was testifying in the case facing Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, county official Meshack Rono, and former county education official Joshua Lelei.

According to Kiprotich, his family was Christian, and he quoted the Bible’s teaching on forgiveness and said he had forgiven those involved in the saga.

He told the court that although his parents wanted him to pursue a Nursing Course in Finland, his passion was to be a Mechanical Engineer.

“Currently, I am studying Mechanical Engineering. I abandoned the programme because life had to move on,” he testified.

Kiprotich said that he could not remember the details of the programme. He also admitted that he was not aware that being a resident of Nandi County, he was not qualified to apply.

He testified that his parents paid Sh507,000 on May 12, 2022, and Sh705,000 on May 13, 2022. They paid an additional Sh80,000 on September 10, 2022, to facilitate his studies abroad.

“The money was never returned. My parents followed up on it, but for me, I moved on,” he told the court.

Kiprotich was cross-examined by Lawyers Fidel Limo and Stephen Kibungei, and he admitted that he had no case nor claim against Mandago, Rono, and Lelei.

He also testified that he did not want to give his testimony before the court, but he decided to testify simply because he was a law-abiding citizen.

“To be honest, we cannot dwell on the past, and it is time to move on because the solution was never found. For me, I moved on and pursued what I was passionate about,” he testified.

Mandago, Rono, and Lelei face 10 counts of conspiracy, theft, abuse of office, and forgery in the alleged embezzlement of money deposited by parents in the county’s trust fund account.

The three allegedly conspired to steal the money from a bank in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on dates between March 1, 2021, and September 12, 2022.

Mandago also faces three charges of abuse of office when he was the governor.

Rono and Lelei are accused of stealing Sh56.5 million from the KCB Eldoret Branch on dates between June 2021 and September 12, 2022.

The case will proceed for four consecutive days in the week from April 14.