KISUMU COUNTY: Nyakach Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is on the spot after it issued bounced cheques to 2,500 students.
The cheques worth Sh12 million under the Constituency Bursary Fund were rejected by the students' respective learning institutions.
Affected residents have been visiting the CDF office for the last few weeks for clarification over the cheques that were issued in March.
Even though the office could not reveal the exact amount of money in question or the students affected, documents seen by The Standard indicated that eight institutions across the country had rejected the cheques.
The institutions have also fined students whose names were indicated against the cheques after the banks charged the institutions for submitting bounced cheques.
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The fines depend on the amount of the money deposited. Some of the affected institutions included; Sigalagala Technical Training Institute, Kabarak University, Mount Kenya University, Strathmore University, Sarong Secondary School and Migingo Girls High School.
A student who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation said the situation disrupted his learning after the institution demanded that he pays an extra Sh2,500, which had been charged by the bank as a fine for the cheque.
"I thought I had cleared school fees when I submitted the cheque only to be called two months later that my cheque was not valid. I have already furnished the CDF office with the 'return cheque advice' but no correction has been made yet," said the student.
The CDF Chairman Roket Kogai denied having knowledge over the issue.
By Thursday, The Standard established that eight 'return cheque advices' had been received at the CDF office for corrections.
The cheques already returned to the office indicated payments for Sh35,000, Sh16,500, Sh25,000, Sh5,500, Sh10,000 and Sh11,000, which had been sent to the affected institutions.
Mr Kogai, however, confirmed having received calls from parents complaining over the bounced cheques but denied that any of them had submitted documents to ascertain the claims.
"I have heard such concerns but I am yet to ascertain it. I advised parents to bring return cheque advises but none has done done so," he said.
