Laikipia university students went up in arms on Wednesday against planned closure of the college's Maralal campus following a notice issued by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
The commission is said to have issued the said notice, which expired by the end of August, three months ago.
This was after the higher education regulator, after an inspection on January 9, 2016, directed that facilities at the campus be improved.
The campus was found unfit for studies. The varsity cited lack of enough resources and running short of time to make the required adjustments.
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The action has now sent the students into a panic mood unaware of their future at the institution, especially those that are set to graduate this year.
More than 300 students of the university’s Maralal campus, joined by their colleagues from other universities, held peaceful processions on the streets of Maralal town.
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The group demanded that leaders from Samburu county lobby the national government to save the campus from being closed.
The students asked national government to disburse Sh50 million pledged by Deputy President Wiliam Ruto toward upgrading the campus.
They also asked CUE to extend the deadline to one year for the institution to upgrade its premises on a 600-acre piece of land.
The land, situated some 3 kilometres from the town, was donated by the county government at Nomotio for the college's upgrade.
They also demanded Laikipia University to announce its usual September intake which has been put on hold following the CUE caveat.
"Students who are coming to apply for the September intake are being sent away, meaning the campus is already closed," Veronica Lengiwa, a fourth year B.Com student, said.
"We are asking the university to announce and resume intakes to at least give us hope that all is not lost," she said .
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County secretary Stephen Letinina and county assembly speaker Steve Lelegwe told the students that the problem should be addressed by the national government.
The leaders said higher education is yet to be devolved, but pledged to do anything in their capacity to save the institution from closure.
"That campus will only be closed over our dead bodies. I assure you that by December, the problem would have been addressed," Letinina said.
He blamed the university’s Vice Chancellor Prof Philip Lello for neglecting the campus, adding that funds raised to improve the school have been expended on non-priority projects.
Letinina said the management board was wrong when it opted to construct female hostels at Nomotio before putting up lecture halls.
Dr Stephen Lekalgiteleb, the campus' director, told journalists that the university is also closing other campuses in , Embu, Naivasha, Nairobi and Nyahururu towns due to lack of funds.
He said the university can write to the CUE requesting for an extension of the closure period if there was an evidence of commitment that the funds will be available.
The campus is only operating up to January after which affected students will have to report to the university’s main campus in Nyahururu town.
