MP links varsity row to laptops tender

What you need to know:

  • Mr Keter asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and block the cartels from interfering with the appointment of the VC.

The row over the Moi University vice-chancellor appointment on Friday took a fresh twist after an MP linked it to the Sh17 billion laptop tender.

Mr Alfred Keter, the Nandi Hills legislator, added the cartels were also fighting leaders protesting the alleged short-changing of the appointment of Prof Isaac Kosgei as the substantive vice-chancellor.

“What is happening in the university is a huge scandal and it has to do with the laptops. The corrupt want to put their own vice-chancellor so that they can steal the money,” said Mr Keter in Eldoret town.

Last year, a consortium of Moi University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, won the tender to supply 1.2 million tablets and laptops to Standard One pupils, one of the government’s election pledges.

“This has nothing to do with tribalism, Prof Kosgei merited as VC because he was number one in the interviews,” said the MP.

Mr Keter asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and block the cartels from interfering with the appointment of the VC.

“I am asking the President to intervene because a scandal in the name of laptops is coming,” said the outspoken MP.

He alleged that the cartels were keen to silence leaders who are out to point out ills.

“They are now talking about Oscar Sudi’s (Kapseret MP) academic papers, where were they in the last four years? But when he touched on Moi University, some people are pained, they are now coming up with accusations, we will not be cowed,” said the legislator.

Meanwhile, politics took center stage during the launch of the school laptop programme in Bomet County on Friday with Devolution Cabinet Mwangi Kiunjuri asking Governor Isaac Ruto to support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election.

“I am appealing to my friend Governor Ruto with his small political outfit (CCM) to support Uhuru’s bid for second term in office. I travelled the same route but I was swept away with my GNU party,” said Kiunjuri while handing over 52 tablets to pupils.

Mr Ruto, however, said he had no problems with Jubilee, but he was pushing for more resources to be devolved.

“We formed CCM following the winding up of URP and we should not be forced to join Jubilee party. Let us allow democracy to thrive,” he added.

Bomet Woman Representative Ceciliah Ngetich said 70,000 teachers had so far been trained on the use of the Information Communication Technology ahead of the implementation of the project.