Vihiga to get first chartered university before elections
Officials inspect ongoing works at Kaimosi Friends University College in the past. President Kenyatta is set to award it a charter making it a fully fledged university tomorrow, July 28.
Vihiga County is poised to get its first chartered university before the country goes to the polls on August 9, Senator George Khaniri has revealed.
The revelation comes amid reports that the Commission for University Education (CUE) has recommended that Kaimosi Friends University College (Kafuco) be awarded a charter.
Mr Khaniri has been spearheading the push for the charter, and in February this year he presented a petition to President Uhuru Kenyatta, asking him to upgrade the constituent college of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology to a full-fledged university.
Speculation is rife that President Kenyatta could tour the county in June and award the charter.
Mr Khaniri confirmed that Kafuco has been approved by CUE for the much-needed upgrade and noted that the move is part of the petition by locals that he presented to Mr Kenyatta.
The senator said the response from State House to the petition was positive, raising hopes that the county will host the first university since Kenya attained independence in 1963.
He said Mr Kenyatta assured him that all the necessary processes were being undertaken by CUE before the charter is formally awarded.
"We are waiting and hopefully the processes are over and this (awarding of a charter) should happen before we go to the polls," Mr Khaniri said.
The president
He added: "I handed a petition to the President and we had a long discussion on the same and he (Mr Kenyatta) gave me his word that they are following all the necessary procedures by CUE."
Mr Khaniri noted that the push for the charter is in its advanced stages and assured residents that the quest by Vihiga County to host its first chartered university has inched closer to reality.
In January, while attending a funeral in Vihiga, Defense CS Mr Eugene Wamalwa said the charter would be issued before President Kenyatta's last term in office ends.
Kafuco opened in September 2014. It sits on 100 acres within the Kaimosi education complex and over 1,000 students.
Major infrastructural and administrative changes have been undertaken at the college in readiness for the awarding of the charter.
Mr Khaniri said the college has all the facilities needed to upgrade it to a full-fledged university.
"There is enough land and infrastructure. There are students and a catchment area," the senator said, adding that he also asked President Kenyatta to fulfil his pledge to tarmac the Kaimosi education complex loop road.
