Rusted and collapsing steel, caving walls and rotting timber mark the decaying state of the stalled tuition block at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Kabarnet Campus in Baringo County.
The structure has remained incomplete for more than 13 years.
The building initiated by former Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwaita was intended to house lecture halls, a modern library and classrooms for over 1,000 students.
Construction began in 2012 under the Department of Public Works but stalled in 2013, reportedly due to funding shortages.
According to KMTC Board Chairperson Joseph Cheruiyot, the institution is currently overwhelmed.
Student numbers have grown from 500 to over 1,500, straining the limited available facilities. Mr Cheruiyot confirmed that funds have now been set aside to complete the project.
A tuition block at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Kabarnet, Baringo Central, that has stalled for more than 13 years due to lack of funding.
Photo credit: Florah Koech| Nation Media Group
Local residents have raised safety concerns, calling for the demolition of the existing structure. Led by Richard Kiptui, they claim that portions of the walls have started falling off and the exposed steel has rusted beyond salvage.
“We don’t understand why this building has remained incomplete for more than 13 years. Blocks are falling, steel beams are bent and rusted. The structure should be brought down and rebuilt,” said Mr Kiptui.
He also raised health concerns, noting that stagnant water from the site contaminates the nearby Kiberenge spring, a vital water source for Kabarnet residents.
Dickson Gwako, a former student, recalled encountering the same stalled structure when he joined KMTC in 2013.
“I graduated three years later and nothing had changed. Even in 2021, it was still in ruins. Water seeps into the walls and some blocks have collapsed. It doesn’t seem safe,” he said.
In 2019, Baringo Central MP Joshua Kandie announced that the government had allocated Sh300 million to complete the building.
He claimed construction would resume in 2020, but it never did.
KMTC CEO Kelly Oluoch confirmed that the delay stemmed from lack of funding under the Ministry of Public Works.
However, he said more than Sh100 million has now been allocated to resume the project, which will be completed in phases.
A tender notice—KMTC020/2024-2025—was posted on the institution’s website in April 2024, signaling the first phase of construction. Sh30 million has already been allocated for this phase.
“It is true the project has stalled for over a decade, which has strained the institution’s capacity. But we now have the funds and work has resumed,” said Dr Oluoch.
He added that the structure has been cleared by relevant authorities to proceed despite residents’ claims that it should be condemned.
MP Kandie also confirmed that the project is finally back on track. He explained that although Sh300 million was allocated in 2019, the Treasury never released the funds.
“Thanks to the intervention of President William Ruto’s administration, we havve now secured the necessary resources to restart this vital project,” Mr Kandie said.
Once completed, he added, the building will ease congestion at the institution and stimulate Kabarnet’s economic growth, driven by the rising number of students.
