A Nakuru Magistrate’s court has issued arrest warrants for Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, former Deputy Governor John Barorot, Edwin Bett, Hilary Ruto, and Stephen Lel after they failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing.
Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege ordered their immediate arrest as they were expected to testify in a case involving Uasin Gishu Senator and two former county officials, Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei, who are facing ten fraud-related charges.
The charges include stealing Sh1.1 billion from parents through the controversial Finland Education Program, as well as conspiracy to commit theft, abuse of office, and forgery. The accused allegedly misappropriated the funds deposited in the Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Fund account.
Prosecutor Angeline Chinga highlighted that the five witnesses had been officially summoned but failed to attend the court proceedings. Defense attorneys expressed frustration over the absence of prosecution witnesses, noting the financial burden of traveling to Nakuru only for hearings to be postponed.
In addition, the magistrate summoned one of the key witnesses, Mercy Tarus, after the Investigating Officer reported that she was unreachable. The court aims to resolve these issues to advance the case efficiently.