KCB Manager Ordered to Testify in Sh1.1 Billion Overseas Scholarship Fraud Case

A senior manager at Kenya Commercial Bank has been ordered to appear before the High Court in Nakuru later this month to testify in the ongoing case over the alleged misuse of Sh1.1 billion meant for overseas scholarships in Uasin Gishu County.

Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege directed Ms Dominika Mailo, a KCB branch manager, to give evidence on 28 November. Her testimony is expected to clarify who owned the account into which parents deposited substantial sums of money, believing they were paying for placements in education programmes in Finland and Canada.

The case involves Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and former county officials Meshack Romo and Joshua Lei, who have been charged with fraud and forgery linked to the county’s overseas education initiative. The programme collapsed amid claims that funds were diverted and commitments to parents were not fulfilled.

According to lead prosecutor Moses Macharia, the account at the centre of the case was not created under the county government but operated as a private account. This point is central to allegations that parents were misled into thinking they were joining an official county scheme. Ms Mailo’s court appearance has already been postponed twice due to medical reasons, and more than 130 of the 202 scheduled witnesses have testified so far.

The collapse of the programme has left many families facing significant financial losses. One recent witness, Mr Zadock Koech Kipkosgei from Moiben constituency, told the court he lost Sh650,000 after enrolling his son. He said parents first paid a registration fee of Sh10,000, followed by further charges for admission letters and visa processing. 

He became concerned when his son’s travel was repeatedly delayed, and the programme’s operations office was moved from the governor’s office to the Town Hall. Parents later demanded refunds, but much of the money had already been paid out for tuition, visas, and accommodation. The initiative, launched during Senator Mandago’s tenure as governor, had promised overseas study opportunities that ultimately failed to materialise.

Governor Jonathan Bii, who succeeded Mr Mandago, has pledged to examine the matter, while the ongoing trial highlights wider questions about financial oversight in county administrations. The court is expected to rely heavily on Ms Mailo’s evidence to determine whether the financial arrangements were properly established or deliberately designed to mislead.

The hearing will continue on 28 November, when the bank manager is scheduled to testify.