Finland Education Scam: Parents Storm Uasin Gishu County Offices for Refund

On Monday, July 10, outraged parents who were scammed in Uasin Gishu County over a Finland education program had to resort to storming the county offices, demanding to be refunded the money they paid. 

Police were dispatched to quell the situation as the parents had refused to leave unless addressed by the governor. Reports disclose that more than Sh100 million was involved in the scam. This is not the first time the parents have protested; last week, parents of more than 300 victims of the Finland education scam demanded a refund. The parents had requested Deputy President William Ruto to step in and get the county to pay back Sh 1.2 million to Sh 3.5 million that each parent had paid to send their children to colleges in Finland.

The group was led by Edward Kiptek and Shadrack Juma, who said they had been to the county multiple times, but their requests were ignored. The first batch of 200 students had already travelled to Finland, whereas the remaining 300 missed out despite paying the required amount. Governor Jonathan Bii absolved the county of any wrongdoing and said that a private trust was responsible for the program with the county only serving as a guarantor.

Three county officials have been suspended and both the EACC and DCI are carrying out investigations. Kiptek reported having paid the county Sh2.5 million for his two children, but neither of them has been able to take advantage of the overseas program. Parents expressed concern and worry, as some of their children have even threatened to take their own lives due to the problems they face overseas. In response, rights activist Kimutai Kirui submitted a petition to the Senate to look into the matter.