Baringo County residents have finally settled on Kabarnet Town, the county headquarters, as the place where a new university will be established in the region, thereby ending a 15-year wait.
The new development comes after two Taskforce reports had recommended Baringo National Polytechnic and Moi Teachers Training College (TTC) Baringo as the suitable locations to host the county university.
The institution of higher learning had also attracted varied opinions from elected leaders, who each wanted it to be constructed within their constituencies.
The contest prompted President William Ruto to issue a directive in December 2024 to speed up the process of the university establishment, which will be named as Kabarnet University College.
Baringo County Secretary (BCS) Jacob Chepkwony, who presided over a public participation exercise at Kabarnet Social Hall, urged residents and leaders to speak in one voice in order to make progress in the institution, which will remain a constituent college of Moi University until 2026, when it will gain autonomy and become an independent university.
Chepkwony made the remarks after residents endorsed that the university will sit on Kabarnet High School land and the enrolment of the first cohort of students be temporarily hosted at Moi TTC in Seretunin.
He stated that the county is in need of more of such institutions to boost education standards and spur social and economic development within the region.
“Initially our leaders were in disagreement but we have decided we don’t want a political process; that is why we have involved everybody, including professionals and experts, in the process,” said Chepkwony.
Retired Director General of Education Leah Rotich lauded the participants for the landmark decision, which she said will come along with massive job opportunities for the young people and access to education for locals.
Rotich confirmed that all the processes of setting up the institution have been completed and they anticipate that the institution will enrol its first batch of students possibly in September this year in Seretunin as the government kicks off infrastructure development in Kabarnet town after pledging Sh 100 million in support.
Kabarnet High School Chief Principal Julius Ndirangu stated that the board of management has agreed to donate 50 acres of land for the new university, which they expect will be beneficial to them.
“We had a special board meeting in February this year and it wasn’t an easy discussion and at the end of the process, all of us were in agreement that we have no objection in terms of having a university besides our school,” Mr. Ndirangu said.
He requested mechanisms to be put in place to protect the secondary school from a situation where the university might require more land for its expansion.
Kabarnet Ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) Ernest Kibet stated that the new university will unlock several flagship projects within the municipality, like the multibillion Kirandich Dam phase two, road connectivity, sewerage plant and the aspiration for the town to attain city status in the near future.
He at the same time urged residents not to go to court to block the establishment of the university, saying it made the county lose the chance in 2014.
Among the satellite campuses that had set foot within the county but closed shop shortly for various reasons are Kisii, Mount Kenya, Egerton, Bugema and Moi University in Mogotio.
By Benson Kelio and Joshua Kibet
