Finland suicide: Why it’s taking long to repatriate body of Kenyan student
Parents of the late Rodgers Kipruto-Jonathan Kosgei (centre) and wife Leah Kosgei and other relatives address the press at their home in Chirchir village, Kesses Constituency of Uasin Gishu County.
The family of a Kenyan student who took his life in Finland last month has to wait longer before his remains are brought back home for burial due to the security protocols in the foreign country and financial constraints.
The Finnish police want to carry out chemical analysis before releasing the body to a funeral home, three weeks after Rodgers Kipruto, 26, took his life on April 18 citing frustrations abroad.
His death was linked to the controversy surrounding a student airlift programme by the Uasin Gishu county government under the leadership of former governor Jackson Mandago and three universities in Finland. Some 200 students from the county were taken to study at three universities — Tampere, Jyvaskyla, and Laurea.
“The latest report from the police department in Finland is that they have to do a chemical investigation to determine further possible causes of the death. We do not know how long this process will take,” Kipruto’s elder brother Boniface Kemboi told Nation.Africa.
The family is also struggling to raise Sh4 million to pay for the body’s repatriation and funeral expenses.
A past photograph of the late Rodgers Kipruto, 28, who was a nursing student at a Laurea University, Tikkurila Campus in Finland. He committed suicide three weeks ago in Finland.
“We have so far raised Sh1.6 million and we are appealing to national and county governments to come to our aid and assist in bringing the body home for burial,” appealed Mr Kemboi.
A stand-off between the county government and parents on how to settle fee arrears so that learners can continue with their studies, among other complications, appears to have taken a toll on Kipruto. This was after it emerged that some county officials had messed with the study funds, exposing the learners to deportation.
Revelations of Kenyan students depressed in Finland after being shortchanged in the controversial study programme would emerge after Kipruto’s death.
Kipruto had enrolled for a nursing degree programme at Laurea University.
Tampere University had in March issued a notice to send home 111 students for defaulting on fee payment, with Laurea and Jyvaskyla universities following suit after they gave 91 students up to the end of the month to settle their fees or be kicked out of the country.
Laurea University had put on hold studies for students pursuing nursing and physiotherapy until the tuition fees for the second semester were paid. Laurea University had 66 physiotherapy and nursing students from the county under the study programme.
In the arrangement, parents were to pay school fees through a trust account, with the county government acting as a guarantor.
Kipruto’s elder brother told Nation.Africa that Finnish authorities, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have notified them of the post-mortem. They are now waiting for the release of the body to be identified by the family to facilitate its move to Kenya for burial.
“The process of bringing the body home for burial will commence after the Finnish police release it to the funeral home,” he said in an interview.
Kipruto’s father, Mr Jonathan Kosgey, appealed for assistance to meet funeral expenses.
“We are struggling to raise the funds and we appeal to well-wishers to come to our assistance. We hope both the national and county governments will also come to our aid,” he appealed.
Mr Mandago, now Uasin Gishu senator has denied any wrongdoing over the controversial programme, even as students enrolled under the scheme spoke of their frustrations in Finland.
“During my 10-year tenure as governor, no single Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) official ever stepped in my office on embezzlement claims and I am wondering how I pocketed the Finland students’ fees. I am very clean on the issue and it is malicious to claim I stole the money because we paid all the money,” the senator said two weeks ago.
An ad-hoc committee of the Uasin Gishu County Assembly formed in February to investigate the controversial study arrangement recommended that managers of the Overseas Education Account be investigated for forgery, abuse of office, and integrity.
They include Mr Joseph Maritim, the former principal officer in the Department of Youth and Sports and the principal trustee; Mr Joel Ruto, director of the Uasin Gishu County Education Revolving Fund and trustee; Mr Meshack Rono, the deputy director of the Uasin Gishu County Revolving Fund and trustee, among others. The three men served under the former governor, Mr Mandago.
