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Uasin-Gishu Governor Bii disowns Finland Fee scam, asks Mandago to shed light

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bii said the Finland overseas education programme was initiated during Mandago's tenure and that he was not ready to be blamed for its challenges. Bii came out following from affected parents who are currently protesting demanding a refund of more than sh300 million they paid to the county government for their children to study overseas, in Finland and Canada.

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"The issue of some people making noise to blame me is unfair because I don't know how this thing started. They should leave me alone", Bii said. He said those complaining should also seek Mandago and ask him to explain because he was the governor then and is now senator for the region.

Bii said since he took over office he has made efforts to deal with challenges which arose in the programme although he was not the initiator and was just acting as a leader in the county.

Bii said he formed a task force to investigate the matter and also asked Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to probe the issue.

He said his probe team which was headed by Deputy Governor John Barorot found out that the account where parents deposited the money was operated by the Uasin Gishu Overseas EACC Education Trust which an independent registered trust and the county had nothing to do with it.

Bii and Barorot said it had also been established that part of the money deposited was used to pay fees and other needs for 365 students who are already in Finland and Canada but have not cleared their fees. They explained that sh 87 million had been used to pay to for those in Finland including at Tempere University. "Some of the students already out there went using money paid in by other parents whose children are yet to travel"Barorot said.

He explained that the county bank account operated by the private trust had a deficit of about sh 137 million but about sh35 million which could not be accounted for was subject to EACC investigations.

Bii said he was a believer in helping Kenyan youth get study opportunities abroad but for now his administration had stopped the programme until all pending issues are resolved. Barorot said money owed to parents totalled to about 138 milion but the bank account currently had only sh 1 miliom.

"It's not possible to refund parents complaining now because there is no money in that account and it will take time to recover the missing funds" he said.

Bii urged that the matter should not be politicised noting that he was sorry for the affected parents and students who should be patient as the matter was being sorted out.

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