Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) is set to establish a campus at Mundere in Budalangi Constituency.
University Education and Research, PS Amb. Simon Nabukwesi, speaking during a visit to the proposed site to assess facilities on the ground, said once established, the satellite campus should focus on offering programs on ways of managing water in the flood prone region, through collaborations with institutions of higher learning in The Netherlands.
Nabukwesi said this move will enable researchers acquire relevant knowledge on how to manage the frequent flood waters have ravaged the region over the years.
The PS noted that developed countries in Europe have made tremendous achievements by controlling and utilizing the waters in flood prone areas for their own benefit and such milestones should be replicated in the country.
“By learning and borrowing new techniques, we will be able to utilize our available resources to manage the flood waters for the benefit of the communities living in Budalangi,” he said.
While handing over the mantle of establishment of the campus to JOOUST, the PS asked the University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Agong, to take charge and ensure that Mundere campus gets its first Kenya University and Colleges Central Placing Service (KUCCPS) cohorts next year.
He said the government is in full support of the establishment of the campus and appealed to donors and the County Government for their collaboration and support to enable the institution have the necessary infrastructure put in place.
Budalangi Member of Parliament, Raphael Wanjala, welcomed the gesture noting that the closest university for students seeking higher education in Budalangi was in Bondo Sub County, therefore once complete, the new campus will enable students from the area access university education with ease.
The MP urged the youth to take learning seriously and avoid destructive practices such as burning of dormitories, citing a recent incident where a group of students set ablaze a dormitory in Budalangi High School.
On his part, Prof. Agong said following a feasibility study carried out by JOOUST at Munderes Campus, it was established that there was a high potential of the campus establishing a faculty offering diplomas and degrees focusing on the Blue Economy, thus becoming a pace setter in research due to its proximity to the lake.
By Christine Oduogi
