Finland, Canada Scholarship Victims Protest in Eldoret Demanding Refunds
Student Brian Kimutai, who had been admitted to Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, said he also paid Ksh1.2 million but never travelled to Canada.
Finland/Canada scandal victims protesting in Eldoret City.
By James Gitaka
Parents and students affected by the stalled Uasin Gishu Finland and Canada overseas education programme staged demonstrations in Eldoret on Tuesday, demanding an immediate refund of the millions of shillings they paid into the controversial scholarship scheme.
The protesters marched through the streets of Eldoret before heading to the Uasin Gishu County Government headquarters, where they hoped to present their grievances to county officials.
However, they were denied access to the premises, prompting them to proceed to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) North Rift regional offices, where they were received by the regional officer in charge.
Speaking outside the county headquarters, the demonstrators expressed frustration over last week’s High Court ruling in Nakuru that acquitted Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and his co-accused of charges related to the overseas education programme.
Led by parents’ representative Joakim Rotich, the victims said they were no longer interested in promises and demanded a full refund of their money.Rotich, whose child had secured admission to the University of British Columbia in Canada, said he paid Ksh1.2 million to facilitate the overseas studies.
He recalled that it was during the final payment, which parents had been informed would cover accommodation expenses, that they began to suspect the programme was facing serious problems.According to Rotich, his child has remained at home since the programme collapsed, forcing the family to seek alternative ways of securing an education.
He said he eventually sold a parcel of land and several cows to raise additional funds and enroll his child elsewhere.”We want our money back since it is our hard-earned money. We cannot just let it go like that. Those responsible should be compelled to refund our money,” Rotich said.
While acknowledging recent efforts by Kalenjin elders to resolve the dispute through an Alternative Justice System, Rotich questioned whether the initiative would produce meaningful results.
He said the mediation efforts had come too late, noting that several affected families had suffered severe emotional distress, with some reportedly losing their lives due to stress while others continue to struggle with mental health challenges.
Student Brian Kimutai, who had been admitted to Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, said he also paid Ksh1.2 million but never travelled to Canada.
He said four years later he remains at home without having pursued the education he had hoped would transform his future.”For four years, unfortunately, I am still in Kenya. We waited eagerly for the court’s ruling, but our case was thrown out after Senator Mandago was acquitted,” Kimutai said.
He described the situation as devastating, saying many families sold property and borrowed money to finance tuition and travel expenses in the hope of giving their children better opportunities abroad.”We trusted our leaders and deposited the money into the trustee account.
We had dreams of changing our families’ lives, but now we are suffering. The only language our leaders understand is demonstrations, and we shall continue protesting until a lasting solution is found,” he said.Kimutai also questioned claims that some parents’ contributions had been used to support students who managed to travel overseas.
“In whose consent was my money used to finance someone else? Where was the agreement?” he asked.Another parent, Esther Kemboi, said the families had lost confidence in the process and insisted that the only acceptable solution was a full refund.
She appealed to President William Ruto to intervene, saying the affected families felt abandoned after the court ruled there was no case to answer against the accused leaders.”We elected leaders to help us, not to siphon our money and leave us helpless,” Kemboi said.
Addressing the protesters at the EACC regional offices, North Rift Regional Manager Kuntai Ole Tingisha said the commission had completed its investigations and forwarded the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which had the mandate to pursue criminal investigations.
He advised the victims that if they were dissatisfied with the High Court judgment, they had the legal option of seeking redress through a higher court.
The demonstrations underscore the continued frustration among families affected by the stalled overseas education programme, with many insisting they will sustain pressure on authorities until they recover the money they invested in what they believed would secure a brighter future for their children.
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