In the last 24 hours, the county of Uasin Gishu has faced unprecedented protest from a section of its residents over the misappropriation of funds intended to provide scholarships to over 200 students living in the county.
The Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Trust scholarship was established to see students secure scholarships in Canada and Finland, but even after interested parties paid the required amounts, most students have remained home and many have been deported, causing agitation among county folk.
Parents have demanded a refund from the county government and have expressed a lack of interest in the scholarship programme, which has already been exposed as a fraud.
A meeting was called between the affected families and the county government of Uasin Gishu, which was led by Governor Jonathan Bii, Deputy Governor John Barorot, and Senator Jackson Mandago.
The Monday meeting demonstrated the immense scarring and aching that the families had been subjected to, as many could not hold back their tears as they pleaded with the leaders to return their contributions.
It was at the meeting that a now-viral video of Mercy Tarus boldly confronting the county leadership on the matter emerged.
Ms. Tarus questioned the leaders in the video, asking why they would allow such a deceptive plan to permeate the county assembly while remaining silent about it.
"Mr. Barorot do you know any anti-depressant off your mind, Mr. Mandago?" she posed.
"Where is Barororot's child here? Where is Bii's child? Where is Mandago's? You are very mean with the truth, you keep lying, you smile at us with a very smooth tongue and a very soft face that looks very innocent but you keep on lying."
Another affected student said: "It is the money that our parents paid that we are running after. But just come and fight me, I am dead already it's only the face that I have."
A parent added: I feel pain, my child has even told me that I should not do a harambee for her again. I sold my land, I borrowed money from the bank..."