Maasai Mara VC Mary Walingo 'not cleared of graft claims': DPP

By  Peter Mburu  &  George Sayagie

What you need to know:

  • Officials from the ODPP, who requested anonymity, said the widely shared claims are creating a false alarm since the corruption case against Prof Walingo is active in court.
  • The sources further said the claims are aimed at interfering with the investigation, undermining the work of investigators and diverting the public's attention.
  • The post by Twitter user Mutemi wa Kiama stated that Prof Walingo was reinstated after four months of State-led investigations that found no evidence against her.
  • Prof Walingo was sent on compulsory leave in September 2019 after a media expose implicated her in an intricate corruption network said to have cost the university millions of shillings.

Reports on social media that ousted Maasai Mara University Vice-Chancellor Mary Walingo has been reinstated are false, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has said.

Officials from the ODPP, who requested anonymity, said the widely shared claims are creating a false alarm since the corruption case against Prof Walingo is active in court.

The sources further said the claims are aimed at interfering with the investigation, undermining the work of investigators and diverting the public's attention.

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DPP'S RESPONSE

The post by Twitter user Mutemi wa Kiama stated that Prof Walingo was reinstated after four months of State-led investigations that found no evidence against her.

Kiama referred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) as “Dry Cleaning Investigations" while other Twitter users faulted the commission for taking too long to conclude the probe.

"Contrary to [the] allegations, Prof Walingo has not been cleared of corruption allegations. The file is still under review and once ready, the DPP will direct appropriately,” the ODPP said via Twitter.

"We urge the public to treat this information as false and malicious and aimed at interfering and diverting attention and undermining the work of investigative and prosecution agencies,” it added.

SPOT CHECK

Prof Walingo was sent on compulsory leave in September 2019 after a media expose implicated her in an intricate corruption network said to have cost the university millions of shillings.

The university council replaced her with Prof Kitche Magak.

A team of reporters, who went for a spot check on Thursday, was stopped at the main entrance, security agents claiming she was not there and that nobody was informed of their visit.

Business went on as usual, with students reporting back after the December holidays.

“We also got the information in social media. We cannot verify if it’s true,” university employee Mzalendo Kemboi said.

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