Nakuru, Kenya – Enock Cheruiyot, a young Kenyan student, recently took the stand at Nakuru Law Courts to share his heartbreaking experience in a case involving a fraudulent education program.
Cheruiyot's testimony revealed how his family's sacrifice to fund his education abroad ended in financial ruin and unfulfilled dreams.
In September 2021, while pursuing a nursing degree in Nairobi, Cheruiyot saw an advertisement on his county's social media handle.
The advert promoted a scholarship program for studying in Finland, which immediately caught his attention. The promise of studying at Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Finland seemed like a golden opportunity. With aspirations high, Cheruiyot decided to apply.
Following the application process, Cheruiyot’s father, Samuel Soi, submitted his son's application to the Department of Youth and Sports, the body heading the program.
The application process and interview cost the family KSh 10,000. Cheruiyot received a text message confirming his selection and inviting him for an interview.
He attended the interview conducted by county officials and Finnish examiners, ultimately passing and moving on to an oral interview alongside about 100 other students.
However, during a subsequent meeting, Meshack Rono, one of the county officials involved in the program, informed the students and their parents that the opportunity was not a scholarship.
Instead, parents had to pay school fees while the county government would facilitate and guarantee their stay in Finland. Cheruiyot, eager to seize the opportunity, discussed it with his parents, who agreed to fund his studies despite their modest means.
The payment breakdown and account details were provided on a piece of paper, and the total cost amounted to KSh 918,000.
To meet the deadline, Cheruiyot's father made the painful decision to sell the family's land. On May 13, 2022, they paid KSh 350,000 at KCB Bank's Eldoret East Branch, and on May 16, 2022, they deposited the remaining KSh 568,000.
Despite fulfilling the financial requirements, Cheruiyot never received further communication about his travel to Finland.
Desperate for answers, he visited the county offices multiple times, only to be told to wait. As time passed, it became clear that something had gone terribly wrong.
Cheruiyot's testimony was part of the Sh1.1 billion Finland Education Programme scandal case, where Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and county officials Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei faced charges of stealing, abuse of office, and conspiracy to embezzle funds from the Uasin Gishu Overseas Education Fund account.
In court, Cheruiyot expressed his disappointment and frustration, saying, “We lost our family’s land and the KSh 918,000.
The cash has not been refunded.” When asked by Prosecutor Angeline Chinga what he sought from the court, Cheruiyot replied simply, “I want justice.”
The scandal affected many other students and their families. Christopher Rotich, a former lecturer, testified that his son, Ryan Kiprotich, also paid KSh 918,000 for the program, aiming to study for a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing at Laurea University's Porvoo Campus.
In addition to the tuition fees, Rotich paid KSh 100,000 for the flight, KSh 49,000 for the visa, KSh 5,000 for a COVID-19 test, and KSh 180,000 for accommodation, totaling KSh 1.258 million. Despite these payments, his son is still at home, unable to pursue his dreams.
The court heard that while some students managed to travel to Finland, many others, like Cheruiyot and Kiprotich, were left stranded.
The families who had placed their trust in the program and invested their savings were now facing financial hardship and uncertainty about their future.
Prosecutor Angeline Chinga stated that five more witnesses were lined up to testify in the case, hoping to uncover the full extent of the fraudulent scheme and bring justice to the affected families.
The hearing continues as the court seeks to unravel the details of how the funds were mismanaged and hold those responsible accountable.
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