Governor wants to make Eldoret an academic town

Uasin Gishu, Kenya: Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago has announced that his office is working out modalities on how to brand Eldoret as an academic city.

Mr Mandago observed that though the town came out naturally as a centre for higher learning, there was need to improve its current status.

“It is unknown to many that besides Nairobi, Eldoret is the other place with the highest concentration of institutions of higher learning,” Mandago added.

The Governor, speaking during the induction of First Year Kisii University, Eldoret Campus students, promised to create a conducive environment for institutions of higher learning. “We are willing as a county to partner with institutions of higher learning on areas of capacity building,” he stated.

The administrator said presence of numerous institutions would transform the town through provision of human resource personnel for the county, the national government, the East African Community, Africa and the world as a whole.

Bogus colleges

He ,however, cautioned parents and students against enrolling in bogus middle-level colleges and universities that have not been registered by the Ministry of Education and accredited by the Commission for University Education.

“I have spoken with my Executive for Education and we are constantly on the lookout to weed out suspicious institutions. We want to ensure efforts of our parents and students are not wasted through meaningless devotion to study and school fees,” he stated.

Eldoret is home to Moi and Eldoret universities main campuses besides hosting campuses of other public and private universities like University of Nairobi, Kisii University and Laikipia University.

Private universities are Africa Nazarene University, Catholic University of East and Central Africa, The African Virtual University, Mt Kenya University and the University of Eastern Africa Baraton among a host of other colleges and institutes.

Mandago also urged students to live within their means by accepting their status in life while at the same time cautioning rogue persons out to spoil the lives of students by offering them empty promises in return for short-lived luxuries.

“The married are also vulnerable since I have received numerous cases in my office where families are on the verge of collapse after a husband or wife fell to lustful ways involving juniors,” he cautioned.

Boda boda operators

Meanwhile, Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Abdi Hassan has put taxi and motorbike operators in Eldoret on the spot over their association with crime perpetrators.

The administrator told individuals operating boda bodas and taxis especially at night to organise the business before his security team reins in on them over their alleged association to criminal activities.

“It is unfortunate that in nearly all criminal reports we receive, there is the mentioning of a boda boda or taxi operators. We cannot continue to tolerate this when the county is giving its all to assure the residents of maximum security,” he said.

According to Mr Hassan, motorbike operators are the most mentioned accomplices in criminal activities and warned them that they should revamp their operations or be ready to change town.