Finland education scam: Parents storm county offices for refund

The parents said they would not leave unless they were addressed by the governor.

In Summary
  • The money is estimated to be more than Sh100 million.

  • The more than 300 parents who are victims of the Finland education scam last week carried out similar protests demanding a refund.

Parents at Uasin Gishu county offices over Finland education scam demanding refund on July 10, 2023.
Parents at Uasin Gishu county offices over Finland education scam demanding refund on July 10, 2023.
Image: MATHEWS NDANYI

Angry parents affected by the Finland education scam in Uasin Gishu have stormed county offices to demand a refund of the money they paid.

Police were called in to control the parents who stormed the Kapseret subcounty office seeking an audience with Governor Jonathan Bii.

The parents said they would not leave unless they were addressed by the governor.

The money is estimated to be more than Sh100 million.

"We have petitioned President William Ruto to intervene because he is the only hope left for us now. If he doesn't then we will strip naked in Eldoret so that everyone can feel our pain," one of the parents said.

The more than 300 parents who are victims of the Finland education scam last week carried out similar protests demanding a refund.

The parents along with their affected children asked Ruto to intervene and ensure the county pays back money it collected from them two years ago.

The parents paid between Sh1.2 million and Sh3.5 million to the county which was to take their children to colleges in Finland.

The first batch of 200 students travelled to Finland where they are studying but more than 300 others missed out despite paying the money.

The group of parents led by Edward Kiptek and Shadrack Juma said they had visited the county many times but their pleas to be refunded had been ignored.

The Finland overseas education programme was initiated during former governor Jackson Mandago's tenure and the parents want him to also come out and explain what happened.

The money they paid was for fees and other travel costs following agreements with the colleges in Finland.

Current Governor Jonathan Bii exonerated the county from the matter and said the programme was handled by a private trust with the county only acting as a guarantor.

Bii suspended three top county officials who were involved and the matter is also under probe by the EACC and the DCI.

"Ruto should not tolerate such injustice to any Kenyan leave alone in his home county of Uasin Gishu," Kiptek said.

Kiptek said he had paid Sh2.5 million to the county for his two children but so far none of them had benefitted from the overseas education programme.

"I have suffered a lot of stress and my children are worrying after failing in their hopes to study in Finland yet as a family we used all the money we had to pay for the programme," he said.

Parents said some of their affected children had threatened to commit suicide over the scam.

Rights activist Kimutai Kirui says he had on behalf of the affected parents petitioned the Senate to investigate the matter.

"This is not a light matter and we will push to have justice done for the affected parents and their children," Kirui said.

He wondered why the county got involved in such a programme for higher education yet its mandate covered only basic education mostly Early Childhood Education.

"Those involved in this scams should not imagine that they will go scot-free. No matter how long it takes justice will be done. The tears of the parents and children will not be in vain," he said.

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