In a dramatic twist, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is seeking to withdraw the Sh1.1 billion Finland and Canada Education Programme Scandal case involving Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and his two co-accused, while calling for fresh charges from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to target a wider circle of suspects.

The high-stakes case, which has gripped the public’s attention for months, revolves around allegations of mismanagement and financial misconduct linked to an international education programme for Kenyan students.

While Senator Mandago, along with county officials Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei, currently face charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege, the DCI is pushing for the case to be shelved in favour of a broader investigation.

Despite the ongoing legal battle, there was no mention of the withdrawal when the matter came up for mention on Wednesday.

Magistrate Ndege held firm, declaring, “The case will proceed from the week commencing on December 2, the prosecution should provide witnesses scheduled to testify.”

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The proposed shift follows a September 25 decision by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga, who approved the EACC to lay fresh charges against Mandago and potentially seven others.

Sources indicate that these additional suspects are expected to include officials from the county’s education, gender, and youth affairs departments, as well as companies allegedly involved in the scheme.

This recommendation comes on the heels of a letter from the DCI’s Deputy Director of Investigations, Paul Wachira, dated September 19, 2024, urging the DPP to abandon the current case.

What prompted this sudden change? According to insiders, when the DCI initially filed the case against Mandago and his co-accused, key investigations were incomplete.

Wachira admitted that authorities were still in the dark regarding crucial details—such as how many students were enrolled in the Finnish universities implicated in the scandal.

These institutions include Tampere, Laurea, Jyvaskylla, Gradia Consortium College, Metropolia, and LUT universities.

The financial aspect also remains murky. “The DCI was also yet to establish the amount of academic fees and other incidental costs paid by each of the students,” wrote Wachira, revealing that investigators were still trying to track down original documents held by the EACC.

There was also uncertainty about the number of students sent to Canadian institutions, including Thompson Rivers, Northern Lights College, and Sternberg College, with no concrete data on how much they paid in fees.

The puzzle deepens when it comes to the students' travel arrangements. The DCI has yet to determine how many visas were processed by the embassies of Finland and Canada, and how much was charged for each.

Moreover, key agents who acted as the link between the Uasin Gishu County government and the foreign universities remain untraceable—a crucial missing link that could unlock the mystery surrounding the programme's alleged mismanagement.

But the intrigue doesn’t stop there. The Pathways studies programme, a late introduction by Finnish universities, has become a central point of confusion.

Wachira lamented that the DCI had not been able to ascertain when this programme was introduced, whether it was conducted online or in person, or how much it cost.

“It was clear that we did not know at what stage the pathway studies were introduced, whether it was offered online or physically, how much it cost and how many students participated,” wrote Wachira, hinting at the chaos that has overshadowed the investigation from the start.

Adding fuel to the fire, the DCI has accused the trial court of bias, pointing to the issuance of arrest warrants against Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii and other officials without following the usual legal process of issuing summons first.

This move has further complicated the already contentious proceedings.

As the dust begins to settle on the DCI’s latest manoeuvre, all eyes will be on the court when the case resumes on December 2, 2024.

Will the prosecution heed the DCI's call to step aside, or will the trial continue, with more explosive revelations yet to come?

Only time will tell, but one thing is clear—this scandal is far from over.