A section of Maa leaders have called on investigative agencies to arrest and prosecute the top management of Maasai Mara University following Sunday’s expose by Citizen TV over alleged Sh190 million corruption scandal.
Led by Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina and his Kajiado counterpart Philip Mpayeei and former Nairobi City Speaker Alex Ole Magelo, the leaders also want an immediate replacement of the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Mary Walingo.
“We want the Ministry of Education to institute corrective measures and find a suitable replacement of the top officials of the university,” Governor Ole Lenku told a press conference held at Serena Hotel on Monday.
“We want legal action taken against all the culprits involved in the looting of public coffers at the institution,” he added.
The governor claimed the corruption levels at the university has exposed and vindicated political leaders who have been complaining of locals being marginalised and discriminated against in job opportunities.
A special investigative piece dubbed “The Mara Heist” that aired in the 7 and 9 pm bulletins put the university’s management on the spot over allegation of misappropriation of Sh190 million over a period of two years.
The whistleblower, the university’s acting Finance Manager Spencer Sankale, revealed how VC Walingo’s driver, Hassan Noor, was used as conduit in the theft.
Spencer revealed how he had directly handled the finances and how looting of public funds had turned one of Kenya’s youngest public universities into ‘a cartel of thieves’.
On Monday, Senator Ledama Ole Kina, said the expose was a classic example of public theft perpetuated by public officers who have been entrusted to oversee use of public resources.
Ole Kina asked DCI head Kinoti and Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji to arrest and prosecute all individuals who have been incriminated in the scandal.
He, however, suggested that as a community leaders they will be proposing to have one of their own picked to head the university institution following in the footsteps of University of Eldoret.
“With these corruption allegations, I think it is time, as a community we made bold move and have one of our own as the institution’s VC,” the senator said.
He continued, “We will take the direction of University of Eldoret.”
