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Kenya’s newest public university will be unveiled by the end of this week

Kenya’s newest public university will be unveiled by the end of this week.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to award Taita Taveta University College (TTUC) with a charter at State House Nairobi, turning it into a fully-fledged university.

The college had been a constituent of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

“It is now official that the Government has agreed to elevate the institution to a full university to make it autonomous. We will now have our own development plans,” said Hamadi Boga, the TTUC principal.

Currently, Kenya has 23 public universities, 10 constituent colleges and 17 private universities.

Prof Boga said the institution, which began in 2008 had met the constitutional requirements for fully-fledged universities.

Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu termed Friday’s event historic.

“The university has immense knowledge in mining and it will contribute a lot to the socio-economic development of the county once it becomes autonomous,” he said.

A group ranch donated 1,000 acres for the university’s expansion.

Meanwhile, Ngerenyi Farmers Training Center in Mwatate sub-county has also been converted into a constituent college of TTUC.

Mr. Mruttu said his administration and the university would partner to set up a center for banana tissue culture seedlings and embryo transfer technology. The university will be among the first institutions to offer mining studies in the country.

MINING SCHOOL

According to Mining Cabinet Secretary Dan Kazungu, the Government will sign a memorandum of understanding with the university to establish the country’s first national mining school.

The university’s elevation comes at a time when local county leaders have complained about poor examination results in the local schools and the dismal number of students joining university.

“In the past we have produced lawyers, engineers and doctors among other professionals but they are not there anymore,” said Taveta Taveta MP Naomi Shaban.

According to Boga, only 3 per cent of students at the university come from the county.

“Out of 2,000 students at the institution, only 600 are from the region; the rest are from upcountry,” he said.

Boga said the institution was expanding its courses to meet the rising demand for engineering and geological professionals in the country.

He confirmed that the Government was putting up a Center of Excellence in Mines, Fuel and Mineral Processing at the institution, adding that local residents would also benefit from jobs and business opportunities.

“We will do business with the local community by offering them jobs and awarding them tenders to supply goods and services,” he said.