NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 28 – The National government has embarked on construction of the first public university in Baringo at Kabarnet, the county headquarters.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony at Kabarnet University College main campus grounds on Monday, Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said the Sh 1 billion project to be undertaken by a Chinese company in collaboration with Kenya Defence Forces, will support access to quality and inclusive education across the county and beyond.
Tuya noted that the first phase of essential academic infrastructure including tuition blocks, library, auditorium and an administration block will be completed in the next one and half years.
Phase two of the university project, the CS said, will include additional support facilities which will be implemented in subsequent financial years.
Tuya, accompanied by her Gender counterpart Hanna Cheptumo and Principal Secretaries Dr. Beatrice Inyangala (Higher Education) and Patrick Mariru (Defence) urged residents to take advantage of the available business and job opportunities that will arise.
“Beyond its educational value, this project will serve as a catalyst for local economic growth by creating employment opportunities for our young people, supporting local enterprises and stimulating demand for goods and services within the community,” she said.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba in a speech read by Dr. Inyangala said the historic milestone will support in shaping the future of youth to be sustainable in the job market.
He urged the science based university college to invest in ICT and the digital ecosystem and keep pace with international trends and practices in order to build an institution with graduates who are able to work across the globe.
Cheptumo in her remarks commend the national government for seeing it fit to establish a first of its kind institution which will greatly transform the region.
She noted that Baringo County had been neglected for a very long time thus such development projects are an important milestone.
Governor Benjamin Cheboi said that the journey of establishing a public university within the region has not been easy after five satellite campuses closed shop in Kabarnet town 11 years ago due to various reasons.
He thanked the administration of president William Ruto for heeding the desire of Baringo residents of having an institution of higher learning near them for their prosperity.
Area member of Parliament Joshua Kandie called for the preservation of indigenous tree cover within the construction site in order to maintain the unique aesthetic and ecological beauty of the university.
The call is coming after a public outcry over wanton tree harvesting within a section of the 50-acre parcel of land hived out of Kabarnet High School grounds.
Kabarnet University College which is a constituent college of Moi University enrolled the inaugural cohort of 569 students in September 2025 at the former Moi Teachers Training College (TTC) Seretunin in Baringo Central.