Several families are trying to put their heads together and save the education journeys of their children, now stranded in the distant country of Finland.
The students, numbering over 200, migrated to Finland between September 2021 and September 2022 to pursue various courses on the basis of full scholarships from the county government of Uasin Gishu and the government of Finland.
That situation it appears has now changed, leaving students and parents stranded both here in Kenya and in Finland
“Ilikuwa ya school fees, accommodation air ticket, kazi huko hakuna, watajilipia,”
The county has denied that it had issued full scholarships to the students. Today, however, those affected have provided proof from the county committing to provide full scholarships.
The parents also say they were asked to pay some money into an overseas education trust account that would enable them to cater for their children’s needs there.
“Tuliambiwa ilikuwa first come first serve, ilibidi tuuze mali yetu ili tusomeshe watoto,”
The parents say they were under the impression that the monies paid, ranging between Ksh. 1M and 1.2 million shillings was sufficient to cover the duration of their children’s education but were in for a rude shock when they were asked to as soon as possible top up between 600k and 700k for diploma and degree courses respectively, to stop the impending deportation of their kin for lack of fees.
The parents making attempts to have the universities set up a separate account to process the fees payment as they have lost trust with the county’s management of the funds
While they struggle to find a way out of this situation, it has also been revealed that the Oversees Education Trust Account, that had at least 35 million shillings has been wiped clean, attracting the attention of the ethics and anti corruption officers who are now investigating the case
“Tulikuja kugundua kuna uvujaji, tulipata mpenyo, tukapata bank statements, tukagundua wamemisapproroate our money, mtu andwithdraw 400k asaubuhi, 400k jioni,” a parent added.
The parents say they are still holding consultations as they seek a way out of the quagmire they find themselves in.
