Leaders revive debate on county varsity but still divided on location

Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi with his deputy Charles Kipngok during their swearing-in ceremony at Kabarnet ASK showground. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

The debate over the location of a proposed university in Baringo County has re-emerged 10 years after the idea was mooted.

The talk came up during the inauguration ceremony of Governor Benjamin Cheboi last Thursday, as leaders continued to differ over a suitable location for the institution.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui, Senator-elect William Cheptumo and Mogotio MP-elect Reuben Kiborek, who spoke during the ceremony, promised to push for the institution to be located in Baringo Central.

The CS said with the university in place, the county will be able to collect enough revenue, create job opportunities for the residents and attract investors.

"The institution will not only help in generating revenue but will also provide jobs to our children and open up markets for farmers," Chelugui said.

Cheptumo said politicians were to blame for their rigidity and failure to agree on a location, adding that the project had stalled while other counties were benefiting.

"It is on us that we don't have a university. Disunity, with everyone wanting the university to be constructed in their constituency, has put us here," he said.

Eldama Ravine MP-elect Musa Sirma supported the proposed location, but warned that if the wrangles continue, his constituency is willing to donate land and host the university.

At the height of the campaigns for the August 9 General Election, a number of politicians seeking various seats promised to set up the institution in their constituency if elected.

In 2015, the County Assembly passed a motion to establish a university at Chemeron, but since then, nothing has been done even after a number of constituent colleges hosted in the county were closed.

Five universities - Kisii, Bugema, Mt Kenya, Egerton and KIMS - that had colleges in the county closed then for various reasons.

Charles Kipkulei, a political analyst from the area, told The Standard that the push and pull on the location has emanated from politicians with selfish interests.

"As much as there were universities, which met higher education learning standards, they could not be sustained in the area due to lack of accommodation, the local catchment was not able to hold huge numbers and also because of lack of political goodwill," said Kipkulei.

He said politicians from the region had advocated for the elevation of some of the institutions but they met a backlash from the host community.

Former Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwaita had proposed Baringo Technical College be converted into a university instead of starting from scratch, but the residents opposed the idea and filed a petition against it in court.

Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap has proposed that the university be at the county headquarters in Karbernet town and other constituencies to open satellite colleges later.

Makilap said Sh200 million from the national government had been disbursed but could not be used as leaders continued to wrangle.

[email protected]