Mara heist whistleblower Spencer Sankale has landed a new job after being sacked by Maasai Mara University.
Sankale, a former accountant at Maasai Mara University who is famed for his crucial role in exposing how senior management officials swindled varsity funds through corruption and embezzlement, was relieved of his duties in June 2021.
Kenyans on social media criticised the move with a majority of them linking his dismissal to his role in the Mara Heist exposé done by Citizen TV.
While appearing on Citizen TV on Wednesday, November 24, Sankale revealed that the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), the professional organization that regulates the activities of all accountants s in Kenya, joined hands with TI Kenya and Amnesty international and offered him a job.
"On the positive side, after I got fired ICPAK which is my professional body, Amnesty Kenya and TI Kenya came together and made me a consultant for the three bodies," he said.
According to Sankale, together with the three bodies, they are setting up a Public Defenders Fund which will take care of vulnerable whistleblowers at the time of need.
"We are trying to set up Public Defenders Fund (PUF) so that it takes care of those who are the most vulnerable because, in this situation, most employers want to make you feel as vulnerable as possible to make you cow down," he added.
The development serves as a reprieve to many Kenyans who were agitated because of his dismissal.
According to his dismissal letter, the university council stated that Sankale was found guilty of gross misconduct on 9 charges.
He, however, denied the charges and said he was being victimized for exposing the rot in the varsity.
Spencer and his colleagues played a crucial role in the exposé by recording video, audio and filing document evidence of the Vice-Chancellor and his accomplices when and after they solicited money illegally.
He narrated how he was being forced okay the release of university cash for suspicious deals in an unprocedural manner by Vice-Chancellor Prof Mary Walingo who regularly used her driver to drive the agenda.
Others linked to the deal included deputy VC Administration, acting deputy VC student affairs Simon Kasaine Ole Seno, finance officer John Almadi Obere, Anaclet Biket Okumu and the VC’s driver Noor Hassan Abdi.
