Moi Teachers Training College (MTTC) in Seretunin, Baringo Central, will be relocated to Talai Secondary School to make way for the newly established Kabarnet University College, which is set to admit its first cohort of students in September this year.
During an inspection tour of Talai Secondary School, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba approved the institution as a temporary host for teacher trainees joining the first public university in Baringo County.
He announced that Sh100 million has been allocated to refurbish existing infrastructure and construct new facilities to accommodate the trainees.
The CS also confirmed that students currently enrolled at Talai Secondary School will be transferred to neighboring schools beginning in September.
Following its gazettement on June 13, Kabarnet University College was listed on the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) portal, with admissions of up to 1,400 students expected to begin in September.
Meanwhile, MTTC, the host institution with a capacity of 720 students, is currently overstretched with an enrollment of 1,025 trainees.
The transition had raised concerns, as Moi Teachers Training College is also expecting more than 300 new trainees in September, in addition to the 1,015 continuing students in their second and third years.
The college is overcrowded, with six classrooms and some laboratories converted into hostels. A theater has also been repurposed into lecture halls, currently accommodating five classrooms, Daily Nation has learnt.
In preparation for the university’s opening, the government has allocated over Sh30 million to upgrade facilities at Moi Teachers Training College to meet university standards.
“President William Ruto directed us to convert the training college into a university, fulfilling a promise he made to the people of this county. That is why, starting this September, Moi Teachers Training College will officially become Kabarnet University of Science and Technology,” said CS Ogamba during the institution’s 29th graduation ceremony.
He said that no staff members from either institution will lose their jobs, adding that the Ministry will ensure the smooth relocation of students and necessary facilities.
“Talai Secondary School will be equipped with adequate dormitories, laboratories and other essential infrastructure to support the teacher trainees,” he added.
Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap welcomed the move and urged locals to embrace the transition, noting that efforts to establish the university had stalled for more than a decade due to political disagreements.
“This change should not lead to job losses. There must be a plan to absorb and retain the existing staff. We are excited that the university will admit over 1,400 pioneer students this September — this is a great success story,” said MP Makilap.
Local leaders and residents had earlier endorsed Kabarnet town as the site of the first public university in Baringo County. The agreement was reached in February during a public participation forum at Kabarnet Social Hall, which brought together leaders, professionals, clergy, and community members.
Kabarnet Boys High School has donated over 50 acres of land for the construction of the university. However, Kabarnet University College will temporarily operate from the Moi Teachers College campus in Seretunin while construction begins at the permanent site.
In April, the Commission for University Education (CUE), along with a technical team from Moi University, toured the region to assess the readiness of Moi Teachers College to host the new university as a temporary campus under Moi University.
CUE confirmed that Kabarnet University College will begin enrolling students at the Seretunin campus this September. The team recommended key steps, including road signage, branding, development of a master plan, title deed transfers, and budgetary provisions for renovations.
Moi University officials, led by Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Kiplagat Kotut, affirmed their commitment to implementing CUE’s recommendations. He also confirmed plans to construct a science laboratory to enhance the learning environment.
CUE Deputy Secretary Prof Urbanas Mutwiwa highlighted the rationale behind establishing the university in Kabarnet, citing its strategic location, broad catchment area, and the absence of a public university in Baringo County.
Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi welcomed the development, stating that the gazettement and the accompanying plans marked a historic moment for the region.
“We are firmly on course to establish a fully-fledged university in Baringo County. This marks a legal and practical step toward expanding access to quality higher education,” Governor Cheboi said.
He added that the institution will play a vital role in promoting academic excellence, research, and socio-economic development in the region and beyond.
The pioneer cohort will begin their studies at Moi Teachers Training College in Seretunin, while construction continues at the university’s permanent site in Kabarnet.
