A Nakuru court Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege has ordered the immediate arrest of Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, and three others after they refused to honor a court summon.

The other three include former Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor John Barorot, Edwin Bett, and Hilary Ruto.

They were expected in court on Monday to testify in cases in which Uasin Gishu Senator and two former county officials, Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei, are charged with ten fraud-related offenses.

The three are charged with stealing Sh1.1 billion from parents through the scandalous Finland Education Program.

The other nine charges include conspiring to steal, stealing, abuse of office and forgery.

The three are accused of misusing the Sh1.1 billion that their parents had deposited in the Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Fund account.

According to prosecutor Angeline Chinga, the five witnesses had been formerly summoned but failed to appear in court as required.

Defence lawyers protested the failure to present prosecution witnesses saying that their clients were incurring huge losses financially travelling to Nakuru only for the hearing to be postponed.

The magistrate also summoned one of the lead witnesses in the case, Mercy Tarus after the Investigating Officer said she was unreachable.