Governor Rotich 'airlifts' students to US university amid raging Finland scandal
Harding University Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Services David Hull (left) and Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich after signing an agreement with the US-based university to airlift students from the county to study. The agreement is in line with Governor Rotich's PEPEA, which involves airlifting students for sponsored programmes overseas. Looking on are the university's Dean of International Education, David Collins, and Elgeyo Marakwet County officials.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich this week flagged off the first batch of students from the county to study in the United States under his education airlift programme dubbed 'Pepea', a Swahili word meaning fly.
Mr Rotich flagged off the first batch of students to Harding University as parents in neighbouring Uasin Gishu County staged protests demanding a refund of their money following the collapse of the county's airlift programme.
This is the first batch of students to study in the US after another group was flown to Canada and Finland under the Pepea programme, which aims to airlift students from Elgeyo-Marakwet to study abroad.
In May, Mr Rotich signed an agreement with the US-based university through its International Dean of Education David Collins.
Under the agreement, students from Elgeyo Marakwet County will study at the US university at subsidised rates.
"I am happy that our Pepea program is taking off. I have released three students proceeding to study at Harding University in the USA," said the governor during the flagging-off ceremony.
Fly out
“Harding gave us a partial scholarship. We are expecting another batch of students to fly out in the coming weeks,” he added.
The governor revealed that the county was in the process of concluding partnership talks with Tacoma College in the USA and Torrens University in Australia to help students from Elgeyo Marakwet County access education at subsidised rates.
He urged students and parents interested in the programme to visit Pepea's office for guidance.
At the same time, about 75 students from the county have secured admission to Australia's Cambridge International College (CIC) University on a 50 per cent scholarship, while another 25 have secured admission to Canadian universities.
“This is a result of a Pepea program policy which is now in place. The county’s role is purely facilitative where the parents pay the fees and other requisite funds directly to the universities to avoid embezzlement issues,” he said.
Mr Rotich added that he would negotiate for relaxed conditions to favour students from humble backgrounds.
The Elgeyo Marakwet Pepea programme includes MoUs with foreign universities where students from the county can secure admission to the foreign universities under sponsored programmes.
The programme also includes an MoU with the foreign countries where the students study to be employed upon completion of their studies.
