Ruto Pledge Local Scholarships for Students Enrolled in Fake Finland Program
President William Ruto has assured students who enrolled in the fake Finland program of a local scholarship to continue their education.
The head of state told the residents of Eldoret that his administration would collaborate with the authorities and assist them once the investigations were complete.
“When the investigations are concluded, as a government, we will assist the students who were to enroll in the program in receiving local scholarships so that they can continue their studies to the fullest extent. These are our innocent young children.”
Ruto warned those who purportedly stole millions of dollars from parents participating in the program to return the funds. He stated that it was humiliating and that he would not want it to happen again.
“It is humiliating for anyone to steal funds intended for the education of Uasin Gishu’s children. “Those responsible must bear their own cross,” he said.
“Whoever misappropriated the funds collected from parents must make arrangements to pay them back.” He stated that some parents who sold assets, including land, must be reimbursed.
Senator Jackson Mandago of Uasin Gishu was detained earlier on Wednesday on allegations of involvement in the scandal. Along with three other county authorities, he was in the public eye due to the Finland and Canada Overseas Education Programme.
On Wednesday, a court in Nakuru issued an arrest warrant for the senator in order for him to face various charges. In 2021, the governor of Uasin Gishu proposed the idea of awarding scholarships to students from his county so they could attend various universities in Finland under the auspices of the Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Trust.
Between May and December of the same year, the parents of approximately 200 students contributed a total of Sh837 million.
Tampere University, JAMK University, Northern Lights University, Elimu University, LUT University, SCI Stenberg, Edu Excellence College, and Eton College Vancouver were among the institutions identified in Finland.
In September 2021, the first group of 202 students traveled to Finland. Approximately 111 students were admitted to Tampere University, 67 to Laurea University for nursing studies, and 25 to Jyvaskylla University.
Tampere received the second-highest amount, with Sh113.7 million, and Edu Excellence College came in third with Sh145.8 million. SCI Stenberg received Sh7 million, LUT University received Sh6.5 million, Northern Lights University received Sh5 million, and Eton College was compensated Sh2.1 million.
The funds were designated for fees, airfare, insurance, and lodging. The cost of insurance was 30,000 shillings, while the expense of accommodation varied between 24,000 and 27,000 shillings.
After the county failed to pay the students’ tuition fees, the spirits returned to haunt Mandago more than seven months after he resigned as governor.
Some institutions even threatened to terminate their agreements with the county if the required fees were not paid on time. In response to the parents’ complaints about the agreement, the EAC acted swiftly to indict three county officials.
The Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago spent the majority of Wednesday evening at the Rift Valley Regional Directorate of Criminal Investigations Headquarters in Nakuru.
Shortly after 4:00 p.m., Mandago arrived at the DCI offices with an army of lawyers.
Many students and their parents have been reduced to tears by the controversial Sh1.1 billion Overseas Education program in Finland and Canada.
Peter Ndege, Senior Principal Magistrate of Nakuru, issued an arrest warrant for the former governor of Uasin Gishu this morning after he failed to appear in court as scheduled.
The magistrate noted that Mandago’s mobile phone was off and that he was not a resident of Nakuru as he issued the warrant.
Mandago tweeted earlier in the day that there were rumors that the police wanted to arrest him.
The politician guaranteed that he would appear if required.
In addition, he claimed he had spoken with the afflicted families and was prepared to refund the money.
Before his arrival at the regional headquarters of the DCI, there was tension surrounding the Nakuru Law Courts as armed police officers barricaded all entrances.
Despite the strong police presence, the court’s gate remained shut.
This comes hours after President William Ruto ordered an investigation into the matter and the arrest of those discovered to be responsible.
Ruto, speaking at the ongoing devolution conference in Eldoret, pledged local scholarships to the affected students.
He was still locked up in the headquarters when the press was contacted.
Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and his co-defendants in the Finland/Canada scholarship scheme will spend Wednesday night in police custody pending their Thursday morning court appearance.
Ruto Pledge Local Scholarships for Students Enrolled in Fake Finland Program
