The County Government of Uasin Gishu has started preparations for the first batch of students to travel to Canada for studies.
It is only a month ago that Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim was in Canada where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a number of institutions.
The MoUs are the ones that the county will be using to help a number of youths travel to the North American country for their studies.
Some of the institutions that Chelilim signed MoUs with include North Ireland College as well as Thomas Rivers University.
But even as preparations take over, the county boss now says the first batch under his administration will be travelling in May 2023.
“We want to plan how our youths will travel to Canada. By May, most of them will be travelling because intake for Canadian institutions is usually January, May and September. However, there are a few that will be travelling there earlier,” Chelilim said on December 18, 2022.
Finland Scholarship program
The county is rolling out the Canada program at a time there have been questions over a similar program that saw youths travel to Finland.
Already, the matter is a subject of a petition before the Uasin Gishu County Assembly.
But even as the MCAs probe the Finland Scholarship program, Chelilim has maintained it was done in the interest of parents and the youths.
He also notes that his administration will put in place sufficient measures that will ensure the interests of the locals are taken care of.
“We will have MoUs between parents and the county, clearly spelling out the roles that each party will play in this program,” the governor said.
Chelilim says the county will be in charge of connecting the students with Canadian institutions, standing in as their guarantors. They will also process the students’ Visas.
“It becomes easier to get a student’s Visa when we apply as a county, unlike an individual which might take ages,” said the Uasin Gishu Governor.
He also noted that they will negotiate with colleges on the mode of payment for school fees. A majority of institutions usually demand at least 40 per cent of the total fees on admission.
On average, for a Kenyan to study in Canada, he/she is required to pay Ksh1 million annually.
“We want at least one member in each family to take advantage of this program,” noted the county boss.
Earlier in March 2022, then Governor Jackson Mandago, now Senator had signed another agreement with Northern Lights College, also in Canada.
