Student allegedly transfers Education Ministry funds into personal account

Gideon Kibet Langat, a university student, was on Monday arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, facing charges related to the diversion of Sh1.1 million in capitation funds meant for a primary school in Bomet County. 

The funds, allocated by the Ministry of Education to support educational initiatives, were reportedly transferred into Langat’s personal bank account at the National Bank of Kenya’s Nandi Hills branch without proper authorisation.

In court, Langat was accused of using mobile banking to withdraw the funds and then transferring them to accomplices via Pesalink. 

The fraud came to light when a bank flagged the suspicious transaction, prompting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to launch an investigation into the matter. 

Detective Constable Julie Rutto, from the DCI's Banking Fraud Investigations Unit (BFID), filed an affidavit revealing that the scheme was well-coordinated, involving multiple parties, some of whom remain at large.

"The said amount was diverted from the Ministry of Education as capitation fees meant for Menet Primary School in Bomet County," she said. 

Court grants DCI request

The court granted a request to detain Langat at Kileleshwa Police Station for 10 days to allow investigators time to probe further into the incident. 

The suspect is set to be charged with stealing contrary to Section 268 (1) as read with Section 275 of the Penal Code.

Section 268 (1) reads “A person who fraudulently and without claim of right takes anything capable of being stolen on fraudulent converts to use of any person, other than the general or special owner thereof any property, is said to steal that thing or property.”

Under Section 275 of the Penal Code, any person convicted for the offence of stealing is liable to imprisonment for 3 years.