Naomi Yego, a student who lost Sh1.28 million in the Finland education scholarship scam, when she appeared before the Nakuru Law Courts on September 25, 2024.
Naomi Yego had aspired to join her peers in one of the prestigious universities in Finland, aiming to pursue a nursing degree through a scholarship program initiated by the Uasin Gishu County Government.
Through the help of her family, she struggled to raise the Sh1.2 million required to chase her dream at Laurea University.
However, after managing to secure the required funds, she faced yet another hurdle.
Before being accepted to the institution she was required to pass a mandatory bridging course known as the pathway study, which involved learning the Finnish language and culture. This course attracted an additional fee of between Sh433,000 and Sh563,000.
Ms Yego paid the amount and began her studies but unfortunately failed her exams. When she applied for a visa to Finland, her application was rejected due to insufficient funds in her account.
Testifying before Nakuru Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Alloys Ndege on Thursday, Ms Yego said she was required to re-sit the exams. Despite repeating the examinations twice she was unsuccessful and she was then asked to pay extra fees for another attempt, which she also failed.
A letter from Laurea University of Applied Sciences dated September 29, 202, was presented before the court, indicating that Ms Yego was among three students rejected by the institution. The other two were identified as Faith Kimaru and Princesor Rono.
However, Ms Yego stated that she was aware of other students who paid the additional costs for the pathway studies and successfully travelled to Finland.
“I was told to pay extra fees for the pathway studies before I could be admitted to the university,” Ms Yego told the court.
As a result, she missed the opportunity to travel and remained in Kenya. She also confirmed that she did not receive a refund of the Sh1.28 million she had initially paid.
During cross-examination by Lawyer Stephen Kibungei, Ms Yego admitted that she had not made claims for a refund nor filed a case seeking reimbursement.
It also emerged during the hearing that the deal between the county and the universities stipulated that students would be required to pay additional fees if they failed their exams twice.
Ms Yego’s testimony was part of a case against Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, who faces charges alongside two others for conspiring to misappropriate Sh1 billion meant for the county's overseas education scholarship program.
Two other witnesses who testified also expressed their frustration with the exaggerated fees for pathway studies. According to them, the courses conducted both online and in person for three months in Kenya, cost between Sh433,000 and Sh563,000.
Another witness John Kipkemboi revealed in court that that despite paying these high fees, there was no guarantee that students would travel to Finland. Passing the pathway studies was mandatory before any student could be accepted by the university.
The case continues.
