By GEOFFREY MOSOKU

Nairobi, Kenya: Parliament has moved to kick start the construction of the Sh8 billion Ronald Ngala Utalii University College which had stalled for one year.

The National Assembly has allocated 500 million shillings in the supplementary budget which will be used to pay the contractor to commence the construction of the college that is located in Vipingo, Kilifi County.

In estimates, tabled before the house Tuesday evening, Budget and Appropriation committee chairman Mutava Musyimi and his committee resolved to allocate an additional 50 million shillings to the ministry of EAC, Commerce and Tourism to offset some of the pending bills for the project.

“We want the project to begin immediately and the monies are now meant to pay the contractor so that work does not delay any more,” Mutava said.

Members of the Finance, Trading and Commerce committee, who had visited the site of the project two weeks ago, presented a strong case before the budget committee, after Treasury failed to allocate any fund in its estimates.

MPs Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central) and Nelson Giachuihe (Subukia) had argued that the project which is under the Vision 2030 flagship had delayed due to lack of funds.

The construction of multi-billion tourism training facility was initially set to commence in April last year but treasury failed to allocate any funds leading to its delay.

MPs are also seeking an addition funds for the project in the next financial year which begin in July to ensure the project which is funded by taxpayers through the catering levy under the Tourism Fund is completed in five years as earlier planned.

“We want the project to be complete in time so that it can ease pressure on Utalii College in Nairobi,” Mwaita said.

The facility is also expected to me a model college to hospitality students from across the EAC region once it’s completed.