Bomet county is the only county in the whole of Kipsigis land-South Rift Valley without a university. The Sigor University College Campus in Sigor town is too small an institution to make a point about. It is shameful. It is wrong. It is too late. Kericho has a fully fledged university,as Kabianga is Charted campus. Nakuru has several universities. Narok too It is high time leaders to come up together with hope, roll up their sleeves for this task, lest their political plummets into extinction and education stakeholders of Bomet County to take seriously the economic significance of having a high education institution in the county. Universities are no longer just places where post-high school students go to study. A whole culture develops in and around university institutions. I cant fathom the amount of money we spent in college on stationery, on food, on booze, on transport, on airtime, on assignments and term papers, on philanthropy and CSR. By erecting Moi University deep inside a forgotten village in Cheboiwyo, Kesses Constituency, Uasin Gishu County, President Moi pioneered a new thinking in African development: That development,decentralised from towns to villages, would improve tenfold the situation of village folks, rather than wait for white collar proceeds from urban relatives. I saw first hand how village traders would sell their milk, maize, tomatoes, onions, and other fresh farm produce. In and around the university there would be shops, rental houses,churches, hotels, pubs and even mini-supermarkets. Erecting a university in a village came with good tarmacked roads, piped water, dispensaries,electricity and, as students get rowdier,law enforcement agencies - the police. And how many village youths will get employment? Watchmen,receptionists, groundsmen, janitors, welders,messengers, drivers, those to operate photo-copying machines, etc. And when one of you is thoroughly learned, like Dr Julius Kones, he may end up being the VC or even Chancellor. Valid dreams! In the teaching staff there will be more of you as lecturers.How about administration? Many of you will work as accountants,administrators,lawyers, trustees,deans, etc. Jobs, jobs, jobs! Visit a town like Eldoret. Unknown to many, it is not just agriculture that makes it tick, the diaspora student community is just overwhelming. There are so many colleges and universities there - and secondary schools too. Part of the Kipsigis Land poverty is the education funds our parents pay to other regions. The brightest ones begin wasting our money from form one,when they are sent to the Mangus, Lenanas, Starehes, Moi Girls Eldoret and other top schools of this country. Each term, and semester, South Rift parts with millions, in fact, billions of shillings, in school fees, college fees and general pocket money to learners. Universities are one of the surest ways to have part of this money circulate within our region. More than just the economic aspect of universities, they also improve social ties between peoples. I know of folks whove never met Kikuyus, Luos, Digos etc. Universities not only ensure students meet and debunk ethnic myths around foreskins, vaginas, and waistlines, such meetings, when successful, also create permanent fusion of cross-ethnic citizens. In the final analysis, it will pay for Bomet County to have a university. I will apply as a don so that I dish such dogma as these week in week out! Kipngeno Duncan Kirui, Livingstone Kiprop, Kipngeno Vinnie, Ben Kiprono, Richard Terer, Konoin Sub-county, Robert Serbai, Kennedy Rotich Arap Cheboin, Hon William Mosonik, Bett Benson,
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 03:33:56 +0000
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