- Twenty-eight students from Bomet and Kericho counties have received university scholarships and laptops through a KSh 22 million investment by the Browns and Finlays Community Trust.
The Browns and Finlays Community Trust has awarded undergraduate scholarships valued at KSh 22 million to 28 students from Bomet and Kericho counties. The Trust is jointly funded by Browns Plantations Kenya Limited, which contributes 80 per cent, and Finlays, which contributes 20 per cent.
Presented during a scholarship awards ceremony in Kericho on 21 August 2026, the comprehensive scholarship package provides tuition support throughout each beneficiary’s undergraduate programme at a recognised Kenyan university. Every scholar also received a laptop equipped with Windows and antivirus software.
The laptops will enable the students to participate in online learning, conduct academic research, complete coursework and access digital libraries and other educational resources.
Supporting talented students across Bomet and Kericho
The 2026 cohort includes 22 community scholars—one top-performing boy and one top-performing girl from each of the 11 constituencies in Bomet and Kericho counties.
The community scholars were selected based on academic performance and verified financial need. Six additional scholarships were awarded to dependants of employees of Browns Plantations Kenya and Finlays Tea Extracts Kenya.
Through the scholarship programme, the Browns and Finlays Community Trust seeks to ensure that financial hardship and limited access to technology do not prevent academically talented young people from pursuing higher education.
Addressing financial and digital barriers
The scholarships come as Kenya continues implementing reforms intended to make higher education financing more equitable and responsive to students’ needs.
Although national financing mechanisms provide important support towards university costs, students from financially vulnerable households may still face barriers such as limited access to computers, internet connectivity and digital learning resources.
By combining tuition support with a personal laptop, the Browns and Finlays Community Trust is addressing both the financial cost of university education and the practical demands of learning in an increasingly digital environment.
Speaking during the ceremony, Mr Dushanth Ratwatte, Chief Executive Officer of Browns Plantations Kenya Limited and Patron of the Browns and Finlays Community Trust, said:
“Access to university should not end with securing admission. Students need the resources to participate fully, succeed academically and prepare themselves for the world of work. By combining tuition support with a laptop, we are addressing both the financial and digital barriers that can affect a student’s ability to make the most of their university education.”
He added:
“Our focus is on identifying talented young people who have demonstrated academic potential but whose circumstances could limit their opportunities. Supporting them through university is an investment not only in the individual students, but also in the human capital and future leadership of the communities where we operate.”
Scholars encouraged to make a positive impact
The ceremony’s Chief Guest, Dr Florentius Koech, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Founder of Tophill Brain and Spine Hospital, encouraged the scholars to make the most of the opportunity and use their education to create a positive impact.
“Academic potential is not defined by privilege; it is unlocked through discipline, perseverance and the right support at the right time. Having started my educational journey at a rural primary school in Cheborge before advancing through local and international medical institutions, I know first-hand the difference that uninterrupted access to education can make.”
Dr Koech said the combination of tuition and digital learning tools would help remove barriers between talented students and educational opportunities.
“By providing these students with both university tuition and the digital tools they need to learn, this programme is helping to remove barriers that can stand between talent and opportunity. It is also preparing a new generation of professionals and leaders who can contribute to Kenya’s future.”
Expanding access to education and technical skills
The university scholarship awards follow the Trust’s investment of KSh 8.3 million in vocational scholarships for 39 trainees at Belgut and Konoin Technical Training Institutes in July 2026.
Six graduates from the 2024 Technical and Vocational Education and Training cohort also received professional start-up toolkits valued at up to KSh 50,000 each. The toolkits are intended to help the graduates establish income-generating enterprises using the technical skills acquired during their training.
With the addition of the 2026 undergraduate cohort, the Browns and Finlays Community Trust and its partners have supported 1,243 students at different levels of education, including 484 undergraduate scholarship beneficiaries.
Why every scholar received a laptop
The laptops are an integral part of the scholarship package rather than ceremonial gifts.
University students increasingly depend on computers to participate in online learning, conduct research, access digital libraries and journals, prepare assignments, communicate with lecturers and complete coursework.
Providing every scholar with a laptop therefore extends the programme beyond tuition assistance by addressing a practical barrier to full participation in higher education.
Investing in community education
Beyond scholarships and bursaries, more than KSh 350 million has been invested in 81 education infrastructure projects across the region.
These programmes form part of the Trust’s broader community investment approach, which seeks to expand access to education, develop technical and employable skills, and create opportunities for young people in communities surrounding its partners’ operations.
