Fact-check: Outgoing Kesses MP Swarup Mishra has not withdrawn scholarships

Dr Mishra, who defended his Kesses MP seat as an Independent Candidate, lost it to Julius Ruto, a former Uasin Gishu County finance executive.

Through his Personal Assistant Geoffrey Kiptanui, Mishra said all the students he has been sponsoring with his own money have completed their studies.

Mr Kiptanui said Dr Mishra stopped sponsoring students soon after the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and that beneficiaries of the sponsorship programme completed their studies after learning resumed.

He said more than 2,800 students were enrolled for the academic sponsorships, which saw 80 of the total number secure scholarships in India and Japan.

"All initiatives started by Dr Mishra had been envisaged to complete within five years because the MP did not want to pass any burden to the incoming lawmaker. If we were to withdraw sponsorships, we would have started with over 2,000 cows and equipment donated by Dr Mishra," Mr Kiptanui explained.

He said cheques for students who had been listed for the Kesses National Government Constituency Development Fund (CDF) are being issued to respective schools.

"Mishra spent more than Sh800 million in academic sponsorships in the last five years. He has used a further Sh200 million in paying medical bills for patients from the constituency.

"A number of patients from Kesses are still undergoing free dialysis at Mediheal Hospital, and this will not stop because Mishra lost an election," Kiptanui said.

Apart from the academic sponsorships, the outgoing MP also donated public address systems, generators, grass cutters, cybercafe equipment as well as fertilizer and seeds to Kesses residents, the personal assistant reported.

While responding to a tweet, Dr Mishra described the news as "utterly incorrect and in bad taste."