Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has asked the EACC to investigate alleged fraud in the disbursement of Sh357 million bursary cash to needy students.
In a letter dated August 14 to EACC chief executive officer Halakhe Waqo, Sonko claimed that some county officers colluded with MCAs to divert the money to their private bank accounts.
There was uproar in July after it emerged that Sh297.5 million
bursary money was wired to a Maryland University account instead of the county's Co-operative Bank account.
During disbursement, some ward representatives claimed that some of the cheques their constituents got bounced.
The money was returned to the right account eight days later. The county explained that accountants
erroneously picked the health donor fund account instead of the bursary account.
In the letter, Sonko cited cheque number 2766404966223339662 dated July 31, 2018, which he claimed belongs to Talvo Limited but received money from the county's bursary account.
He also attached documents showing the ‘beneficiaries’ received up to Sh20,000 instead of Sh5,000.
“Kindly move with speed [and] investigate the matter [for] those found guilty to face prosecution,” he said in the letter.
Education executive Janet Ouko did not return calls for comment on the matter.
According to the county director of information Elkana Jacob, more than Sh10 million was lost in the fraud.
“Corruption is real and that is why the Governor has at times been bitter and sent people home,” Jacob said.