Parents and students caught up in the controversial Uasin Gishu Finland scholarship programme say they remain devastated despite the acquittal of Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and his two co-accused, Joshua Lelei and Meshack Rono, in the KSh1.1 billion case.
A Nakuru court dismissed all charges against the three on Thursday after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. However, for families who sold land and invested millions of shillings hoping to secure overseas education opportunities, the ruling has offered little relief.
Among those still grappling with the aftermath is Naomi Chepchirchir, a resident of Racecourse in Uasin Gishu County, who enrolled in the Finland Education Programme initiated by the county government.
Overcome with emotion, Chepchirchir said the court’s decision has reopened painful memories of shattered dreams and financial losses.
“We invested so much in this programme. I did not have a plan B. My dream was to study and come back to help my parents. We have suffered, and depression is real. I trusted the system because this was a government programme. I never imagined it would end up like this,” she said.
Chepchirchir revealed that she resigned from her job after receiving assurances that she would travel to Finland, only for the opportunity to collapse. She is now seeking financial support to enable her continue her education locally.
“It is very painful because the people we interviewed with have already graduated. Sometimes I ask God why this happened to us. We are a family that prays, yet someone destroyed my dreams. I still do not understand why,” she added.
Joshua Kipkemboi, from Tereshia Village in Ziwa, Uasin Gishu County, also says the programme derailed his education and future plans.
He had abandoned his journalism studies at Kisii University after his family paid KSh1.2 million to facilitate his anticipated studies in Finland.
Three years later, he remains without a degree or the overseas education he had been promised.
“By now I would have graduated with a journalism degree from Kisii University, but this issue changed everything,” he said.
His mother, Dorcas Maiyo, recounted the sacrifices the family made to raise the required funds.
“We do not have formal jobs. I survive by growing vegetables so that my children can go to school. When we heard about the Finland programme, my husband had no job, so we decided to sell our land. The first piece was not enough, so we sold another one until we raised all the money, including the airfare,” Maiyo said.
The Finland scholarship programme was introduced as an opportunity for students from Uasin Gishu County to pursue higher education abroad. However, it later became the subject of controversy after many students failed to secure placements despite families paying millions of shillings.
Although the criminal case against the three accused has now been dismissed, affected families say the emotional and financial burden remains, with many still struggling to rebuild their lives after exhausting their savings and disposing of family property in pursuit of the promised opportunity.
