By James Ratemo
Eldoret polytechnic will be a university within three years.
A new five-year strategic plan unveiled by Higher Education Assistant Minister Kilemi Mwiria recently foresees this transition.
The plan lays the ground for an upgrade that would see the institution spend Sh954 million for capacity building and expansion of infrastructure, including laboratories, classrooms, libraries and requisition of modern equipment.
"We are keen to improve staff qualifications to match the upgrade," the principal, Mr Cleophas Lagat, said.
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He says the policy framework on education, training and research in technical industrial, vocational and entrepreneurship training institutions that was developed by the Government will guide the expansion.
According to the new policy, polytechnics retain their character and status but offer degree programmes accessed through the credit transfer.
A public university will be selected to midwife the transition in an arrangement in which the polytechnic will serve as a constituent college for three years.
The new university would specialise in technical based courses such as engineering.
The polytechnic has already developed a service charter and a master plan to facilitate the process. Already infrastructural improvements are underway. With internally generated funds augmented by the Government, the administration is on the verge of completing a three-storey building that will accommodate 24 classrooms, departmental offices and stores.
The expansion is a response to a steady rise in the student population from 2,123 in 2003 to 5,212 this academic year.
Langat attributes the achievements of the 21-year-old institution to good management, availability of room for expansion, student discipline and unique technical based academic programmes.
Students and lecturers intimated that the institution has a participatory leadership where divergent views are collated, analysed and implemented. They say there has been a deliberate move to review academic programmes to ensure relevance and applicability.
