CS Miano promises new opening date for long-awaited tourism college

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has announced fresh timelines for the expected completion of the scandal-ridden Ronald Ngala Utalii College. The tertiary institution in Vipingo, Kilifi county has been at the centre of investigations over corruption allegations.

The college, which has been marred by years of delays, is now expected to open its doors by April 2024, according to the CS.

After a tour of the site and a closed-door meeting with key stakeholders including officials from the Kenya Tourism Board and Tourism Fund, Miano (inset) revealed that the project is currently 83 per cent complete.

Although the college was slated to be finished years ago, construction has lagged since it first broke ground in 2010.

“We reviewed the operationalisation plan and schedule and we are hopeful that by the end of the first quarter next year, this institution will be fully operational,” Miano told reporters at the site, emphasising that the final phase of construction would be completed by April.

So far, the completed portions include critical infrastructure such as the auditorium, lecture halls, kitchen, hostels, a cruise training yacht and walkways. Once the remaining work is done, the institution is expected to admit up to 3,000 students per cohort.

“Applications should open by the end of April, so we can admit our first batch of students and fulfil the region’s growing need for hospitality professionals,” Miano said. The second phase of the project will include a five-star hotel, which will serve as a hands-on learning environment for students, adding a practical element to the training.

The project’s history has been marked by multiple missed deadlines and promises of imminent completion. The government has been issuing changing timelines for the project. In September last year, Kilifi North Deputy County Commissioner Samuel Mutisya visited the college, and reported it was 78 per cent complete, with an expected completion date of July 2024.

Inconclusive investigations

In October 2023, former Tourism CS Alfred Mutua also projected a similar timeline, hinting the institution could open for students by early to mid-2024. Mutua, during his tenure, revised the project’s approach to prioritising key buildings based on available funds, a decision meant to ensure at least partial operation of the college.

“Even secondary schools and many colleges start with a few classrooms and expand with time. I adjusted the process to focus on completing core buildings, so we could open early next year,” he noted, highlighting that administration buildings, class blocks, and limited student accommodations were prioritised.

The ambitious project, sprawling across 59 acres in Vipingo, was envisioned to be a flagship institution for hospitality training in the region majoring in Blue Economy related tourism.

However, its journey has been turbulent. In December 2023, Najib Balala, former Tourism CS, his Principal Secretary Leah Gwiyo, and other ministry officials faced corruption charges after investigations revealed alleged procurement fraud. The officials were accused of inflating the college construction costs.

Balala’s case was later terminated by a Malindi anti-corruption court due to inconclusive investigations following an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).