For many years, a row has been simmering on the correct location of the first public university in Baringo County and had hindered the establishment of the institution of higher learning.

However, the row seems to have been finally resolved after residents and their leaders unanimously agreed that the institution will be set at the county headquarters in Kabarnet, ending a 15-year standoff.

The new development comes after two Taskforce reports had recommended Baringo National Polytechnic and Moi Teachers Training College (TTC) Baringo as suitable locations to host the county university.

The institution of higher learning had also attracted varied opinions from elected leaders, who each wanted it to be established within their constituencies.

Public participation

President William Ruto waded into the issue by issuing a directive in December 2024 to speed up the process of what would be named Kabarnet University College.

During a well-attended public participation exercise held in Kabarnet early this week, residents were of the agreement that politics should be kept off the issue to speed up the establishment of the institution.

Baringo County Secretary Jacob Chepkwony who presided over the public participation exercise held at Kabarnet Social Hall, urged residents and leaders to speak in one voice in order to make progress in the institution.

The university will remain a constituent college of Moi University until 2026 when it will gain autonomy and become an independent university.

Chepkwony made the remarks after residents endorsed that the university will sit on Kabarnet High School land and the enrolment of the first cohort of students be temporarily hosted at Moi Teachers Training College (TTC) in Seretunin.

“The county is in need of more of such institutions to boost education standards and spur social and economic development within the region,” said Chepkwony.

Retired Director General of Education Leah Rotich lauded the residents for finally reaching an agreement on where the institution will be located.

According to Rotich, all the processes of setting up the institution have been completed and they anticipate that the institution will enrol its first batch of students possibly in September this year as the government kicks off infrastructure development in Kabarnet High School after pledging Sh100 million in support.

Kabarnet High School Chief Principal Julius Ndirangu stated that the Board of Management (BOM) of the school has agreed to donate 50 acres of land for the new university, which they expect will be beneficial to them.

“We had a special board meeting in February this year and all of us were in agreement that we have no objection in terms of having a university besides our school,” said Ndirangu.

He requested for mechanisms to be put in place to protect the secondary school from a situation where the university might require more land for expansion.

In 2015, the Commission for University Education (CUE) announced that it was ready to accredit one of the institutions in Baringo County, into a constituent college of Egerton University, as long as it meets the requirements.

However, the exercise had been delayed to-date owing to disagreement among locals and leaders on where the university was to be located.

Political goodwill

Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi welcomed the move by leaders and residents to finally agree on where the institution will be located saying the county leadership was committed to ensuring that the university kicks off soon.

Five universities have since shut down their campuses in Baringo County in the last five years in what has been attributed to lack of political goodwill, dealing a blow to students wishing to pursue higher education.

Kisii University was the last to close its doors in Kabarnet town in May 2018 with more than 1,000 students transferred to the university’s main campus in Kisii.

Others included Uganda-based Bugema University, Mount Kenya University, Egerton University and the Kenya Institute of Management.

Entrepreneurs who had taken advantage of the incoming universities to set up buildings and hostels were hit hard.

A spot-check by People Daily in Kabarnet town, which is the county headquarters, revealed that many of the structures remain unoccupied.

The late retired President Daniel Arap Moi was opposed to the idea of converting Baringo Technical College into a university.

Until his demise, Mzee Moi was categorical that he was the brainchild behind many technical colleges in the country which he said was intended to equip youth who did not make it to university with technical skills.

President Ruto, who was Deputy President then had however sharply differed and appealed to the late President Moi, before his death, to support him in the bid to establish a public university in Kabarnet town.

Governor Cheboi called on leaders to avoid political squabbling and agree on the location of the university.

“The university will benefit all our people irrespective of its location. This will also boost the economic livelihoods of our people,” Cheboi said in an interview.

According to former Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui, the row over the planned establishment of the university had been pushed by what he called cheap politicking.

Chelugui said more than Sh2 billion had been set aside by the national government for the proposed university but the project failed to kick off in the last more than 10 years due to wrangles over its location.

“It is sad that institutions of higher learning in Baringo County closed their campuses due to petty politics as other counties progress because of wrangles over its location,” Chelugui said.