Body of Kenyan student who took own life in Finland to be flown home next week
A past photograph of the late Rodgers Kipruto, 18, who was a nursing student at a Laurea University, Tikkurila Campus in Finland. He died by suicide on April 20, citing frustrations in the foreign land following a controversial students airlift programme that put the Uasin Gishu county government on the spot. He was among 202 beneficiaries of the work and study programme launched during the reign of former Governor Jackson Mandago. His body will be flown back home next week for burial.
What you need to know:
- The late Kipruto was a nursing degree student at Laurea University
- He had cited frustrations in the foreign nation, following a stand-off between the County Government of Uasin Gishu and his parents on settlement of fee arrears
- He was among 202 students from Uasin Gishu county who were airlifted to study Tampere, Jyvaskyla, and Laurea universities
A Kenyan student who died by suicide in Finland last month will be buried next Friday after the family finalised arrangements for the body to be flown back home.
His family in Kesses, Uasin Gishu county, disclosed on Thursday that Finnish police had completed investigations and released the body of Rodgers Kipruto, 26, who died on April 18, 2023.
Kipruto had cited frustrations in the foreign nation, following a stand-off between the County Government of Uasin Gishu and his parents on modalities of settling fee arrears to enable him to continue with his nursing degree studies at Laurea University.
“We are happy that at long last the body will arrive in the country next Tuesday, latest Wednesday, and burial arrangements have been made for Friday,” said his elder brother, Mr Boniface Kemboi.
He revealed that the national government, through the Kenyan embassy in Finland will pay the costs, including having the body flown to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), while the Uasin Gishu County Government will meet the costs from JKIA to Eldoret International Airport in Eldoret.
“The county government has promised to foot the mortuary costs and bring the body to our Chirchir home in Kesses for burial on Friday,” added Mr Kemboi.
Funeral costs
He disclosed that the family managed to raise Sh1.3 million out of the Sh4 million for funeral and other expenses.
“We have been struggling to raise the money, and managed to get Sh1.3 million, which will meet other expenses,” he stated.
The late Kipruto was among students from Uasin Gishu County who were airlifted to Finland in a study deal between the devolved unit and three universities in Finland, but later cited frustrations in the foreign country.
Some 202 students from the county were airlifted to study Tampere, Jyvaskyla, and Laurea universities.
A stand-off between the county government and parents on modalities of settling fee arrears to enable learners to continue with their studies, among other complications appears to have taken a toll on the student, who decided to end his life.
This was after it emerged that some county officials had messed with the study funds, exposing the learners to deportation risks.
Jonathan Kosgei (centre) and his wife Leah Kosgei, parents of the late Rodgers Kipruto, 28, a nursing student who committed suicide at Laurea University, Tikkurila Campus in Finland, with relatives at their Chirchir village home in Kesses, Uasin Gishu county on April 20, 2023. His body will be brought back home next week for burial.
Studies suspended
Laurea University, which had 66 physiotherapy and nursing students from the county under the study arrangement, had put on hold studies for students until their tuition fees for the second semester were paid.
Under the arrangement, parents were to pay school fees through a trust account, with the county government acting as a guarantor.
The study deal was reached during the reign of Governor Jackson Mandago, now Uasin Gishu senator, who has denied any wrongdoing over the programme.
He said Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials never set foot in his office over embezzlement claims.
An ad-hoc committee of the county assembly formed in February to investigate the programme recommended that the managers of the overseas education account be investigated for forgery, abuse of office, and integrity questions.
