Kaimosi college declines to relocate to new land

Kaimosi TTC students display the Best Composed Script and Best item on corruption during the 57th Edition of the Kenya National Drama Festival at Meru school on April 12, 2016. The teacher training college in locked in a land row with the proposed Kaimosi Friends University College. PHOTO | ANTHONY NJAGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kaimosi management have declined to move to new land allocated to them to pave the way for the proposed Kaimosi Friends University.
  • The institution was allocated Sh35 million to build a new college which the management says is insufficient.
  • The college is in dilemma of admitting first-time teacher trainees in July for the 2016/17 academic year following the stalemate.
  • The proposed Kaimosi Friends University College had issued Kaimosi College with a notice to vacate, whose deadline expired last December.

The fate of the 114-year-old Kaimosi Teachers Training College hangs in the balance due to its tussle over land with a university.

Managers of the college have declined to move to new land allocated to them to pave the way for the proposed Kaimosi Friends University College.

They said they had no funds to set up a new college. Both institutions currently sit on the same land.

Kaimosi college Chief Principal Onzere Mudangale said the management was unable to relocate the institution to the new location after they were allocated Sh35 million to build a new college there, which he said was insufficient.

The college, Mr Mudangale said, was in a dilemma of admitting first-time teacher trainees in July for the 2016/17 academic year following the stalemate.

“We appreciate that the Vihiga County government and Hamisi CDF committee are putting up some structures at a cost of Sh35 million,” said Mr Mudangale. “However, we appeal to the Ministry of Education to assist us with funds to enable us to construct.”

ISSUED NOTICE

Kaimosi college was to relocate a year ago to a 70-acre piece of land adjacent to Kaimosi Boys High School.

The proposed institution of higher learning, which will be a constituent college of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, had issued the teacher trainer with a notice to vacate, whose deadline expired last December.

Mr Mudangale said the university had reduced enrolment for P1 teacher trainees by half.

“We don’t want our college to die,” said Mr Mudangale. “In July, we are going to select another lot of First Year students.

“The Board of Management is committed that we should select first years. When we are told to move and we don’t have the structures to move to, it becomes sad.”

Hamisi Member of Parliament Charles Gimose has said he will push for funding to ensure that most of the structures on the proposed site are ready by September.

National Police Service Commission chairman Johnstone Kavuludi has said the college must continue operating.

“It is good to convert the college into a university without taking away the college,” said Mr Kavuludi. “We are happy to host the first university in this region. “We ask for the release of funds to enable construction to take place.”

Kaimosi Friends University College was gazetted on September 1, 2014.