Members of Parliament expressed shock on Wednesday at the deteriorating conditions of facilities at the cash-strapped Moi University following a tour of the campus.
The inspection revealed that several student hostels were lacking basic amenities, such as light bulbs, raising concerns about student safety.
The National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance, led by Wanami Wamboka, in a statement, pointed out the poor state of the Margaret Thatcher Library and the main gate, which has been under construction for years.
Kuresoi South MP, Joseph Tonui, remarked, "A school is as good as its management, and from what we’re seeing here today, the efficiency of Moi University Management is very questionable."
In addition to the non-functional facilities, MPs visited operational student hostels and found them in disrepair.
MP Rebecca Tonkei said, "Something like fire extinguishers and light bulbs are basics that need to be part of these hostels. Are the students even safe on these dimly lit corridors?"
The legislators also inspected the staff quarters, most of which remain vacant and in dire need of renovations.
Another area that caught the eye of the MPs is the quality of work on one of the university's main gates, which reportedly cost Ksh7 million.
Another main gate was subject to criticism after it emerged last year that the university had spent in excess of Ksh25 million for a second main gate.
The first main gate was originally planned to cost Ksh4.8 million, but that amount was shelved because it was located on a road reserve, former Vice Chancellor Isaac Kosgey had told the National Assembly's Public Investments Committee on Education.
However, an audit revealed that the university had paid Ksh7 million for gates reconstruction, and despite the project not being finished, the school paid the full contract amount.
"It is very clear that the cost of this project was inflated. A simple look at the gate shows substandard work, with cracks already showing even before its completion," Bomachoge Chache MP Alfah Miruka stated.
Concerns were also raised about the stalled construction of a multi-purpose amphitheatre, which remains less than 40 per cent complete. Chiforomodo Mangale (MP Lunga Lunga) questioned, "What happened to prioritising the most necessary projects first?"
The Committee noted the university's numerous unfinished projects and urged management to complete existing initiatives before starting new ones to avoid wastage of public resources.
"The school has many running projects that have all stalled," Wamboka added.
