The family of Rodgers Kipruto, a Kenyan student who committed himself while studying abroad in Finland, is in anguish after receiving notification from authorities that they must pick up his body within 21 days, failing which police will dispose of it in accordance with Finnish law.
It’s a race against time as the student’s parents, who claim he was depressed, ask for donations to help them raise the Sh4 million needed to bring his body back home for burial.
Kipruto was one of 202 Uasin Gishu County students who traveled to Finland as part of a controversial study program agreement between the county government of Uasin Gishu and three universities.
After parents put money in an account managed by the county, the students were accepted into Laurea, Jyvaskylla, and Tampere universities in Finland. However, a few months later, the universities requested payment of tuition or they would be expelled.
Investigations into the management of the foreign education account for forgery, abuse of authority, and lack of integrity were advised by a county assembly committee that looked into the scheme.
Since leaving Kenya on October 30, 2022, Kipruto has been despondent and physically ill. He has also complained about difficulties in Finland. He left his work as a nurse at a Nakuru Level Five Hospital and enrolled at Laurea University to pursue a degree in nursing.
Mr. Jonathan Kosgey, Kipruto’s father said that the family was unable to bring back his body for burial and have organised a fundraiser on Friday.
“Ferrying the body requires up to Sh3 million and as the family, we had exhausted all the resources to send him to study in Finland. Now that he will be brought as cargo, the bill is humongous. We have also set up a Paybill number to assist us in raising the funds and also the burial cost. The Paybill number will be up by Tuesday this week,” he said.
“We have been notified within 21 days the body should have been flown or the Finnish authorities will dispose of it. All Kenyans of goodwill, we are pleading with you to help us give him a decent send-off after bringing the body back to Kenya,” he appealed.
Mr Kosgey said the Kenyan embassy in Finland has already reached out to the family and is aiding in addressing logistical issues to ensure the body is brought on time.
“We have relatives in Sweden who are now in Finland to assist us and already a post-mortem is under way and we are waiting for the report. As a family, we are optimistic we shall receive the body at JKIA because already the embassy in Finland has asked us (parents and another person) for details so that we will be the ones receiving the body in Nairobi,” he said.
The distraught father urged other parents whose children are still studying in Finland to get close to them to avert tragedies.
“We were seeking a better life for them but as it turns out our children are suffering in the foreign nation. Parents should monitor them and we hope a solution to the issues will be found in due course,” he said.
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