Garissa University College to be re-opened in two weeks: Ruto

Garissa University College will be reopened after a meeting of top education officials and Moi University Senate to be held in the next two weeks, Deputy President William Ruto has said.

Mr Ruto said Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i will meet with the management of Moi University to come up with a programme of reopening the institution.

Garissa University College is a constituent of Moi University and was closed in April following a terror attack where 147 people died.

“Moi University Senate and CS Education will meet in the next two weeks to agree on the date of opening the institution,” said Mr Ruto after a tour of the institution.

Addressing the staff of the university, the Deputy President said education of Kenyans could not be compromised by acts of lawlessness.

“We will not allow evil to prevail. We will shame those who attacked and killed innocent students,” said Mr Ruto.

“Garissa University College is part of the infrastructural educational development that is needed in this country. It must be reopened to enable students concentrate on their studies to achieve their goals in life,” said the Deputy President.

POLICE POST

He said firm security measures have been put in place to contain terrorism among other criminal activities.

“The government will finance the completion of ongoing projects at the university including a police post to ensure there is a conducive and peaceful environment for the students when they resume studies”, he said.

Mr Ruto said peace has been declared in the area, which had been hard hit by insecurity occasioned by terrorist related activities in the recent past.

The Deputy President said the move by leaders and locals to work closely with security agencies in the search for peace in the region has yielded fruits.

He asked young people to take responsibility for their country’s future by embracing peace and reconciliation.

He said security was a collective responsibility where all Kenyans, irrespective of their status in the society, must come together and speak with one voice in the war against acts of lawlessness.

“We may negotiate the terms of peace as leaders but the fate of peace is up to all of us,” he said during a leaders meeting held in Carissa township on Friday evening.

COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

Mr Ruto who had addressed a leaders meeting in Garissa town on Friday evening, hailed leaders in Northern Kenya for forging a common stand in the fight against terrorism among other criminal activities that had threatened peace in the region.

He said he was impressed that leaders in the region had come to terms to the fact that security matters are a collective responsibility where everybody must participate to get rid of criminals.

“We are not going to cede any part of Kenya to any group. We will defend any inch or portion of our country,” said Mr Ruto.

More than 50 MPs led by the National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, Governors Nathif Jama (Garissa), Godana Doyo (Isiolo) and Ali Roba (Mandera) said they will support the Government in the fight against insecurity in the region.