On Monday, 07 August, leadership in Uasin Gishu county engaged in a sit-in with parents and students affected by the contentious scholarships. The meeting sparked heated demands for refunds as they accused officials of deceptive actions.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii. Photo| Courtesy
Affected parents have been in uproar against the county’s leadership, due to the controversial scholarships aimed at facilitating education in Finland. These scholarships were initiated during the tenure of former Governor and current Senator, Jackson Mandago.
Seeking to address the escalating situation, Governor Jonathan Bii convened a meeting to tackle the matter head-on. This pending issue had already began leading to protests by parents and students within the county.
Brave Student Condemns Uasin Gishu Leaders
During the meeting’s proceedings, the spotlight shifted to a young girl, Mercy Tarus, whose courage captivated the attention of many Kenyans. She unflinchingly addressed the leaders, openly accusing them of perpetuating falsehoods while maintaining a façade of innocence.
Her pointed words cut through the tension as she condemned their continuous deception. Mercy highlighted their practiced smiles and smooth talking as part of the tactics. Her sentiment was met with cheers from other aggrieved students.
Sometime in this country we feel hopeless but the courage of Gen Z gives us hope. pic.twitter.com/N3cUf6PwKw
Faith Tarus is the young lady in the video addressing leaders in Uasin Gishu county regarding the ongoing Finland scholarship saga in the county.
The 24 year old further questioned the leaders’ lateness to the meeting, despite the scheduled start time of 9am. She acknowledged the possibility of her opinion being dismissed due to her youth. Thus, the young lady held her passport as a symbolic gesture.
Moreover, she emphasized that her grandfather, who accompanied her to the meeting, had gone without food since early morning. Miss Tarus passionately revealed the emotional toll the situation had taken on the elderly attendees. Some of whom were unwell due to the distress caused by the issue.
Uasin Gishu Governor, Hon. Bii had shifted blame onto his predecessor. The leader highlighted a KSh 138 million deficit in the program’s funding. He explained that the lack of funds prevented immediate refunds to parents.
Bii hinted that a refund of the money would be considered later, after a comprehensive assessment of the related database. The county’s officials reported that only KSh 1 million could be accounted for in the relevant account.
Senator Mandago, on his part, sought to distance himself from the controversy. Mandago asserted that he had handed over the program to the current administration. He disputed the account balance claimed by the present leadership. The leader revealed that the remaining funds he had left in the program amounted to over KSh 37.5 million.
Additionally, he disclosed that the locked student accounts contained more than KSh 67 million. Thus inflating the total balance to over KSh 104 million.
