Students from Uasin Gishu County who lost over a billion shillings in a scholarship programme started by former Uasin Gishu county officials, including Senator Jackson Mandago who was the governor, have written a letter to President William Ruto asking him to intervene.
The letter dated September 18, 2023 addressed to Ruto claimed that the county government has not fulfilled their promise to resolve the issue.
The letter indicated that Uasin Gishu county leadership including Governor Jonathan Bii, his deputy Barorot, and Senator Jackson Mandago lied to them and are now lying to the public.
They stated that a group of 22 students that travelled to Finland and a subsequent group of 24 were not part of the students asking for a refund.
The students further noted that one of the people that travelled as part of the group was a county official.
The victims noted that their lives have stalled after selling their property and taking loans to finance the programme.
Uasin Gishu county officials have been accused of mismanaging the funds that were collected from parents and students to support the programme.
During his visit to Uasin Gishu during the Devolution Conference, Ruto asked those who were involved in the scam to take responsibility for their actions.
The students now want Ruto to live up to the hustler mantra and pull them out of the hole dug by county officials who embezzled the funds.
In the letter, the students wondered why Ruto had not acted on the matter even after making reference to the issue at a public rally in the county.
Insisting on a refund, they asked the president to act on the matter to ensure the county government refunds their money.
The Uasin Gishu Scholarship programme was established to send students for studies in Canada and Finland, but funds paid by students and parents to a county bank account were mysteriously withdrawn leaving most students stranded.
