NAIROBI, Kenya — Dozens of Kenyan students sent to Finland under a county-sponsored “scholarship” programme have found themselves destitute, many collecting empty bottles or queuing at food banks just to afford a meal.
What was sold as a golden opportunity, a pathway to affordable education abroad, part-time work, and professional careers, has instead turned into what many call a nightmare of broken promises.
The scheme, largely driven by Uasin Gishu County Government, lured parents into paying between Sh950,000 and Sh1.2 million per student, under the assurance that tuition, airfare, accommodation, and a living stipend would all be taken care of.
Once in Finland, many students discovered the reality was far different. According to an investigation by the Finnish media outlet Yle, several nursing and physiotherapy courses, originally promoted as one-year programmes, dragged on for over two years.
Universities suspended classes as fees remained unsettled; part-time jobs promised to sustain the students never materialised.
Without income or financial support, some turned to Finland’s bottle-deposit recycling system — salvaging cash from discarded cans and bottles. Others resorted to food banks run by churches in Helsinki.
One student quoted in the Yle investigation said the expectation of earning while studying was “nowhere close to reality.”
Back home, the fiasco has triggered a full-blown scandal. The anti-graft Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has launched investigations into alleged embezzlement amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings — funds that parents wired into an overseas trust account.
Among those implicated is former Governor Jackson Mandago, along with several county officials, accused of conspiracy, abuse of office, and theft.
The scandal has sparked outrage from affected families and civic groups alike. Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a major opposition party, has condemned the affair as a grotesque exploitation of young Kenyans’ educational dreams and called for full accountability.
For many students, the emotional toll has been severe. Stranded far from home, grappling with financial hardship and uncertainty over their future, some say their dreams have collapsed.
In one tragic case, a young nursing student reportedly died by suicide after months of desperation.
As investigations continue, parents demand refunds and justice, while former students wonder if their sacrifice — and money — will ever amount to anything more than bitter regret.
Many fear the scheme, once hailed as a chance for transformation, will instead be remembered as a cautionary tale of corruption, deceit, and dashed hope.
