County seals new deal to airlift students to US amid Finland scandal
Harding University Assistant Vice President for enrollment services David Hull (left) and Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich after striking a deal with the United States-based university, which will see students from the county airlifted for studies. The new deal is in line with Governor Rotich’s PEPEA, which involves airlifting students to sponsored programmes overseas. Looking on is the university's Dean of International Education, David Collins and Elgeyo Marakwet County officials.
What you need to know:
- Governor Wisley Rotich has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Harding University in USA
- The governor has negotiated for a 62 percent scholarship programme, with the US university that will see parents pay only 38 percent of the total cost
- Mr Rotich has already entered into another deal with three Canadian universities where students from Elgeyo Marakwet are pursuing their studies
Even before the dust settles on the Finland work-study deal scandal that has rocked haunted Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, Governor Wisley Rotich has struck another deal with a United States-based university to airlift more students from the county for studies and work.
Mr Rotich, the Elgeyo Marakwet governor, has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Harding University in the United States of America (USA) which will see students from the county airlifted for studies.
“This evening I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mr David Hull, Assistant Vice President for enrollment services, and Dr. David Collins, Dean of International Education Harding University, United States. The agreement will see students from Elgeyo Marakwet County take their studies at the university at a subsidised cost,” the governor said after signing the MoU in Iten.
“The rest of the costs will be paid by parents to the university,” the governor said, as he announced that applications were now open for Elgeyo Marakwet learners at Harding University.
The new deal is in line with Governor Rotich’s PEPEA, which involves airlifting students to sponsored programmes overseas.
“Some of the students who benefited from the programme last year are now remitting a lot of money to their families back at home. We are solving any issues involving the Finland programme and I am ready to travel to Finland to see where the problem is,” he said.
PEPEA programme
The PEPEA programme involves an MoU with foreign countries where students study to be employed upon completion of their courses.
Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet county governments signed separate deals with Finish universities to enable residents to study and get employment in Finland, and all programmes were dogged with fee payment hitches, exposing beneficiaries to deportation threats and one student committing suicide last month.
In Elgeyo Marakwet, Mr Rotich announced on Thursday that he has negotiated for a scholarship programme with the US university that will see parents pay only 38 percent of the total cost.
“We have negotiated with Harding University for a 62 percent scholarship, with parents paying only 38 percent. This is our inaugural partnership with a USA university,” the governor said on Thursday.
He urged parents and students to take advantage of what he termed as a rare opportunity and defended the programme as a way of opening overseas employment avenues for locals.
Mr Rotich has already entered into another deal with three Canadian universities - North Island- Vancouver, Northern Lights College in British Columbia, and Thompson Rivers University, where students from Elgeyo Marakwet are pursuing their studies.
Another batch of students from the county travelled to Finland in 2020 under the same programme mooted by former Governor Alex Tolgos.
