Controversy has rocked yet another Uasin Gishu Education Overseas Program with parents of students that were to travel to Canada for further studies demanding a refund of their money.
At least 24 parents told journalists in Eldoret on Wednesday that they were no longer interested in the program.
The parents say they each paid over Ksh950,000 to facilitate their children to travel to Canada for studies under the Uasin Gishu overseas program but to date, they are yet to travel.
Their efforts to seek clarification from the county over the program have also not yielded any convincing explanation.
According to the parents, it has been over 10 months of promise after promise with no tangible progress.
“My son was selected to join Thompson Rivers University and I was told to pay Ksh950,000. All the students that agreed to go to Canada paid the money, over a million each – parents totalling 24,” said David Saina, one of the parents.
“From August 2022 up to now, nothing has been done, we have been promised that the students will be going for biometrics, medicals and launching of the visas but the students are still with us,” he added.
The delay has left the parents suffering and depressed after selling pieces of land, vehicles and other sellable items in the hope their children will fly to Canada.
Meetings not resolved the matter
They further questioned excuses the county has been making that the delay had been a result of an ongoing forensic audit of the overseas program.
“As parents and students we demand the county to refund our money which is approximately Ksh24 million with immediate effect,” noted Saina.
In addition, the parents say they have held several meetings with county officials but they were yet to be convinced that the program will kick off.
Most of the students were to travel as early as December 2022 while others had been scheduled for travel in May and September 2023.
“My son was to go in September 2023 but he has not gone for biometrics; not gone for medicals and it’s only a month to September. I don’t think it’s possible now,” noted Saina.
Amon Sawe, a parent from Kiplombe, Turbo Sub County also has a child that was to benefit from the Canada program.
Defer university
He paid Ksh950,000 in October 2022 but he is yet to see an admission letter for his child.
“All we want is our money to be refunded so that we work on other plans for our children to go to school,” Sawe said.
“My own son was in university but after securing an opportunity to Canada I told him to defer but up to now he is still at home. So you can understand the situation we are in now,” added Willy Mwogoi, also a parent.
Our efforts to seek clarification from the County Government over the matter were futile as our messages went unanswered.
Another overseas scholarship program for students to study in Finland has already been hit with controversy and it is currently a subject of investigation.
Several county officials have since been suspended to pave the way for the probe into the Finland Program following recommendations from the Uasin Gishu County Assembly.
