County, Finland in talks to bring student body home

Uasin-Gishu county government has promised to facilitate the repatriation of the body of a Kenyan student who allegedly committed suicide in Finland.

Rodgers Kipruto, 26, is said to have taken his life citing frustrations in the foreign nation, because of the standoff between the devolved unit and parents on modalities of settling the fee arrears to enable him to continue with his studies.

Governor Jonathan Bii who toured Kipruto’s home at the weekend said his administration was in talks with the Finnish government to ensure the deceased is accorded a decent send-off.

 “We are in discussion with the Finnish Embassy on how we will facilitate the repatriation of Kipruto’s body back to Kenya, and my government is working closely with the family on the issue. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the late Kipruto,” said Bii.

 He said the devolved unit will support the family and offset the burial arrangement slated for next week.

 Bii assured parents that the county government will continue offering any kind of support to ensure the safety of their students abroad.

  “We are in discussions with the universities on the possibility of the students getting more time to work, to raise finances that can help in funding their expenses and fees while in Finland,” said Governor Bii who was accompanied by the Education Executive Dr Janet Kosgei.

 The late Kipruto was pursuing his studies at Laurea University’s Tikkurila campus in Finland before his untimely death. 

 His father Jonathan Kosgei Kipruto and mother Leah Kosgei are yet to come to terms with the son’s death.

 “He was a very bright student who was dedicated to his studies. His death is a big blow to us. He was at his lowest point due to the high expectations he had when he joined the university,” Kipruto told People Daily in an interview yesterday.

 According to the father, his son, the third born in a family of six, enrolled for a degree in nursing after quitting his job as a nurse at a Nakuru Level-Five Hospital.

First semester 

Apparently, Kipruto led a frustrated life after Laurea University terminated his studies in March after completing his first semester.

 People Daily established that Laurea University had put on hold studies for students pursuing nursing and physiotherapy until the tuition fees for the second semester are paid.

Uasin-Gishu County Government has been on the spot for the mess which allegedly saw millions of shillings meant for students under the Finland Scholarship Program embezzled by senior county officials.

 The County Assembly ad-hoc committee which investigated the scholarship scam found out that three senior officers under former Governor Jackson Mandago’s administration were responsible for the mess as they made themselves signatories of the fund to enrich themselves and withdrew millions of shillings on diverse dates.

 According to the county government, the first group of 202 students who went to Finland left Kenya between September 2021 and September 2022 with 111 going to Tampere University, Jvaskyla (25), while 66 went to Laurea University.

 In the arrangement, each parent of the students managed to raise Sh1.19 million as school fees for the county government to ensure that they are placed at universities in Finland.

 The parents also raised Sh100,000 (air ticket), three months accommodation (Sh80,000), insurance (Sh30,000), visa (Sh49,000) and Covid-19 certificate Sh5,000.

 Many students, however, risk being deported back to the country after the devolved unit failed to channel the money into the various universities accounts as per the agreement with the parents.