President William Ruto has confirmed that the government will commence the construction of the Baringo University College of Technology (BUCT) in April.
Speaking during the burial ceremony of Baringo Senator William Cheptumo in Baringo on Saturday, March 1, the president noted that the construction of the university will commence once the necessary approvals from the Commission for University Education are made.
"Requests have been forwarded to the Commission of University Education, and when it is complete in the next one month, in April, we will come and start the construction of the university by the grace of God," he stated.
Acknowledging Cheptumo's sharp focus on education prosperity, Ruto said that the construction of the university will serve as a remembrance of the leader and his commitment to elevate Baringo's education capacity.
"We talked with Cheptumo and other leaders from this county about the construction of the University of Baringo. I want to thank all the leaders that they have already agreed and that public participation has also been done, and I have received information that you have all agreed," he said.
"I know this great leader lying here will miss the opportunity to see Baringo University coming to be because his family is here, and the rest of you are here. We will all be there to see what Cheptumo thought about and wished for coming to reality," he added.
The proposed Baringo University is set to be constructed in Kabarnet town after five local MPs agreed on the location, according to Eldama Ravine MP Musa Sirma.
The university is 90 kilometers, approximately two hours, from Ruto's hometown, Sugoi.
“We saw that Kabarnet town was an ideal site because of the availability of land, and construction of the university will help to develop the county headquarters,” he said last month.
According to Sirma, the construction of the university will be pivotal in attracting investors and creating jobs in the county.
Sirma further noted that satellite campuses of the university will be constructed across the sub-counties.
President Ruto further asserted that investing in infrastructure development in remote areas will not only guarantee economic transformation of the areas and the country at large but will also bring equity to the country.
"It's good for Kenyans to understand that the same thing we are doing in building the highways in Nairobi and other areas, we also need to bring up other remote areas of Kenya," he said.
