This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
Maasai Mara University's corruption scandal has taken a new turn, with allegations emerging of how suspended vice-chancellor Mary Walingo's replacement Anaclet Okumu and the suspended VC's driver Noor Abdi raided the institution's coffers dry.
According to Weekly Citizen, the Asset Recovery Authority has profiled the properties and bank accounts of those involved in the multimillions scandal, including those hidden in names of proxies, and is set to freeze bank accounts and take hold of properties.
However, all three individuals have denied the allegations and vowed to fight to the bitter end to clear their names in the over Sh200 million scandal.
Walingo was sent on compulsory leave after a whistleblower, identified as John, exposed ill deals at the university. John had stepped in as acting finance officer when his colleague, Spencer Sankale Ololchike, fell ill in August 2017.
John narrated how cashiers were withdrawing money in millions of shillings unprocedurally, and how he was called by the then vice-chancellor's driver, Noor, to go to write cheques without any authorization.
John recalled how at one time, he was called and told to prepare cheques for Sh8 million, where he wrote seven to eight cheques of around Sh900,000.
He added that from the fortune, the vice-chancellor's driver started changing vehicles and bought one worth Sh3 million, and also built a palatial mansion.
The VC on her part, had a vehicle worth Sh16 million, which she used to move from Narok to Nairobi.
John said the driver was on permanent and pensionable terms, earning about Sh30,000, but by the time of the expose, he was earning about Sh200,000.
“The scheme of service had to be changed to accommodate an executive driver,” the whistleblower said.
John blamed the vice-chancellor for the mess, saying she was the chief accounting officer who authorised and approved payments.
He said when withdrawals are made without following procedure, they must raise eyebrows.
