Uhuru honours Nandi hero Koitalel arap Samoei

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday launched the construction of a university to honour one of Kenya's popular freedom fighters, Koitalel arap Samoei in Nandi County.

Speaking when he laid the foundation stone at Koitalel Samoei Secondary School where the university named after the renown Kalenjin leader will be constructed, the President said his government was happy to honour him with a higher institution of learning in a place the freedom fighter is said to have been killed more than a century ago.

"We won't forget those who were here before us. They rejected colonialists who wanted to grab our land and take our rights as Africans.

“Now we will build a university to honour them including Koitalel," said the President who was accompanied by his deputy William Samoei Ruto.

The ceremony was part of the President's campaign in Nandi County where he addressed several rallies.

TWO YEARS

He said the university will enable many students to get access to higher education and play a role in improving the country's economy. He said the university will be ready to admit students in two years.

"This is our country, no one will develop apart from us. I am happy for the Nandi people for giving us the piece of land to build this university.

“In two years, we will come back to open it and students to get admitted but first you have to vote for us in August so we are able to continue with its construction," said the Head of State.

Mr Ruto said the university was sentimental to the Nandi people saying it represented the "history of our people and the history of Koitalel arap Samoei.”

He said the university will start by offering courses on law and business.

FREEDOM AND JUSTICE

"We want a School of Law and a School of Commerce to come first. The law school because Koitalel stood firm for the freedoms and justice for our people.

“The commerce school because he also opposed the first railway constructed by the colonialists but now we have teamed up and constructed a new railway that will grow our economy," the DP said.

The duo, who criss-crossed the region with a number of their lieutenants, advised the locals against being swayed by their arch-rivals in the National Super Alliance (Nasa) who last week pitched tent at Kapsabet town in the county on a similar vote hunting mission.

While listing a host of projects initiated by the Jubilee administration in the region, they called on locals to give them a second term in office to complete remaining ones.

"We know our opponents were here recently where they alleged that we have run down the agricultural sector which is a total lie," said President Kenyatta at Nandi hills town.