Parents Plead For Ruto's Intervention After Mandago Acquittal In Finland Scholarship Saga
News Updated: 24 July 2026 20:40 EAT
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Parents who lost millions of shillings in the controversial Uasin Gishu Finland and Canada overseas education programme have appealed to President William Ruto to intervene and help them recover their money following the acquittal of Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and two former county officials. The affected families say they remain burdened by loans and financial hardship despite the conclusion of the criminal case.
The appeal comes after Nakuru Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege acquitted Mandago, former Uasin Gishu County Director of Education Dr. Victorine Sabulei and former Chief Officer for Education Leah Maritim under Section 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case, meaning the accused would not be required to defend themselves.
The case stemmed from the Uasin Gishu County Overseas Education Programme, an initiative that facilitated the admission of students to universities in Finland and Canada. Hundreds of parents paid substantial amounts of money after being assured that the programme would secure university placements and finance their children's education abroad.
During the trial, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions called 138 witnesses, including parents, students, county officials and investigators. Many parents testified that they had been informed a one-off payment would cover tuition and related costs, only for students to later face demands for additional fees after arriving overseas.
In delivering the ruling, the court found that although numerous witnesses had testified, the evidence presented was insufficient to sustain the criminal charges. The magistrate emphasized that the burden of proof remained with the prosecution throughout the proceedings and that the legal threshold to place the accused on their defence had not been met.
The investigations into the programme began in 2023 after complaints from parents whose children faced financial difficulties in Finland and Canada. Authorities alleged that approximately KSh1.1 billion had been collected from families through the programme, prompting investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Following his acquittal, Mandago maintained that the programme had enabled many students to pursue higher education abroad. He urged beneficiaries who may have received funds intended for other students to voluntarily refund the money to the education trust so that affected families could be compensated.
The senator also called on the Uasin Gishu County Government to take responsibility for pursuing refunds, arguing that the overseas education programme was a county initiative and that parents who suffered financial losses deserved compensation regardless of the outcome of the criminal case.
Despite the acquittal, many parents say they continue to service bank loans, SACCO loans and other debts taken to finance the programme. Some families reportedly sold land and other assets in the hope of securing education opportunities for their children, only to face financial uncertainty after the programme encountered challenges.
The parents have now appealed directly to President Ruto to intervene and facilitate a lasting solution, saying the court's decision has left them without a clear avenue for recovering the money they invested. They argue that while the criminal case has ended, the financial and emotional burden on affected families remains unresolved.
The Finland and Canada scholarship saga has remained one of Kenya's most significant education-related controversies in recent years, highlighting concerns over the management of county-sponsored overseas education programmes and the protection of parents and students participating in such initiatives.
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD