Maasai Mara University VC Mary Walingo Faces Arrest

Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has ordered the police to arrest Maasai Mara University VC over 177 million Kenya shillings scandal.

DPP’s orders come nearly one year after the misappropriation of funds in Maasai Mara University was exposed by Citizen Television and channeled through a story, the Mara Heist in September last year.

The DPP has also ordered the arrest of other four varsity officials who according to the prosecutor, also perpetuated and benefited significantly from the stolen funds. The four officials include Prof. Simon Kasaine Ole Seno (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Finance), Prof. John Almadi Obere (Acting Deputy VC Academic and Student Affairs between 2016 and 2019), Anaclet Biket Okumu (Finance Officer) and Noor Hassan Abdi (the Vice Chancellor’s driver).

While issuing a statement about the Maasai Mara university misappropriation of funds on Monday, the DPP stated that the scandal occurred between 2016 and 2019, where irregular withdrawal of funds from the institution’s account was done through the aid of the VC and the four officials.

Sources indicate that the actual amount lost by Maasai Mara University through the irregular withdrawals was Ksh.177, 007,754.

The DP further stated that the investigative report has documented efficient evidence indicating that all the money withdrawn by the varsity’s financial officers was delivered to the VC through the aid of her driver Mr. Nooor.

The DPP condemned the act, terming it “daylight” robbery.

He said, “Despite the University having a well-developed accounting system known as the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System and proper books of finance, there was a deliberate failure by officers in the University’s finance department to record the subject transactions/cheque withdrawals in the University’s ERP system and books of record in an attempt to hide the particular transactions from the University’s financial records.” 

The five suspects will be facing charges under the Penal Code and the Anti- Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.