Man in Sh1.1 billion Finland scam arrested, charged
Courts
By
Daniel Chege
| Dec 17, 2025
The Principal Trustee in the Sh1.1 billion Finland and Canada Education programme scandal for Uasin Gishu County has been arrested and charged.
Joseph Maritim was yesterday charged with six counts of fraud, forgery and abuse of office, two years after Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and County officials Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei took plea.
Maritim, who was to be charged alongside the three in 2023, allegedly flew outside the country to Canada until December 14, 2025, when he was arrested once he landed in Kenya.
He appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Christine Menya and denied all the six charges.
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The Principal Trustee and former Chief Officer Youth and Sports denied that he conspired to steal Sh1.1 billion from Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Trust account on dates between March 1, 2021 and September 12, 2021.
“The money stolen in the KCB Eldoret was meant for overseas university fees for students under the Uasin Gishu County Overseas Education Program,” read the charge sheet.
He denied the charge of stealing Sh56.5 million on dates between June 2021 and September 12, 2022 at KCB Eldoret branch.
He also denied that he stole Sh660,000 alongside others on dates between May 4, 2021 and September 12, 2022, from the same bank account.
Maritim was also charged with abusing his office to falsely misrepresent that the overseas trust account he opened was being opened by Uasin Gishu County.
“The misrepresentation action of May 21, 2021, was prejudicial to the county government,”
read the charges.
In the fifth count, Maritim allegedly forged minutes of the overseas education trust on April 23, 2021, purporting it a genuine document signed by the trustee chair Dr Joel Chelule.
On May 6, 2021, Maritim is said to have forged a Declaration of Trust in respect to the trust that oversaw the programme and purported that the same was signed by Chelule and other trustees; Dr. Susan Keino and Loice Jelimo.
The prosecution through State Counsels Angeline Chinga and Dan Smith applied for Maritim to be denied bail.
Smith submitted an affidavit in opposition of bond detailing grounds opposing Maritim’s release.
“We submit that he is a flight risk having disappeared since May 2023 and not to return for over two years,” he deposed.
Smith claimed that they were unsure if he would honour the court dates if he was released.
Maritim, through his lawyer, submitted that he was not a flight risk and had a fixed residence in Nakuru.
He deposed that he was not served with warrants of arrest and that is why he returned to Kenya, only to be arrested.
“The accused person has never refused to comply with court orders or cooperate with the court. He was also arrested while returning to Kenya and not while fleeing,” deposed the lawyer.
The lawyer added that Maritim demonstrated that he was cooperative and he was willing to comply, adding that he was still presumed innocent, unless otherwise.
In a rebuttal, Chinga maintained that Maritim was a flight risk because he lived in Eldoret and worked in Canada, with a visa expiring in 2029.
“The charges he faced alongside the others were withdrawn under Section 87A, which meant he could be arrested, with or without warrants,” deposed Chinga.
Ms Menya released Maritim on a surety bond of Sh2 million. He will alternatively pay a cash bail of Sh500,000.
According to Menya, Maritim was aware that the police were looking for him, having been involved in a public interest case that had attracted local and international attention.
She, however, claimed that the court was not lost to the presumption of innocence and had to strike a balance.
“The accused person is directed to surrender his passport until the case is concluded. He is urged to attend court during his trial and appear to the authorities when he is summoned. Further, in case he wants to travel outside the court’s jurisdiction, he should inform authorities, she ruled.
The case will be mentioned on January 14, 2026.