Alego–Usonga MP Samuel Atandi./COURTESY
Alego–Usonga leadership is accusing the Siaya county government of denying Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) land on which its Siaya town campus sits, forcing it to order closure and relocation of students.
Led by Alego–Usonga member of parliament Samuel Atandi, the residents are appealing to both the county government and relevant authorities to rescind the decision which, they added, will kill the economy of the town.
Addressing public rallies in North and South East Alego wards in his constituency, Atandi said that he recently received communication from the university vice chancellor that they intend to close the campus which is based at the Siaya farmers training centre.
“The reason being that the land on which the campus is sitting belongs to the county government, which has another programme for it,” said Atandi who is also the chairman of the budget committee in the national assembly.
The legislator said that the county government intends to put up a new headquarters; hence, the university has to give way.
He said that his attempts to implore the governor to release the land to the university for its expansion has hit a snag.
“We met in Nairobi together with the entire leadership of Siaya and implored Governor James Orengo to consider retaining that land for the sake of the expansion of the university instead of the county headquarters but it seems the governor is not listening,” he said.
Atandi told Orengo to respect the wishes and interests of the people of Alego-Usonga, who would rather have the university on the land than county offices.
He said the governor risked portraying himself as an autocratic leader by pushing through an idea that is not popular and progressive.
“Listen to us. Don’t be autocratic. You always say you are a democrat but on this one, you are becoming a dictator,” the MP told Orengo.
Reacting to the issue, Siaya township ward member of the county assembly, Obiero Otare, called for a sober approach on the issue, saying that as far as he is concerned, both the county government and JOOUST leadership met and agreed in May this year that the campus will remain in Siaya town.
Otare, who is the Siaya county assembly chairman for the lands committee said that during the meeting, the university demanded for 30 acres of land if it was to retain the campus.
“Siaya FTC land is 50 acres and the county government agreed to surrender 35 acres to JOOUST,” he said adding that all the formalities, including preparation of the Part Development Plan (PDP) has been completed and forwarded to the national lands Commission.
Local residents, including the Siaya town business community have been apprehensive over the impending relocation of the campus, saying that the student population was crucial to the town’s economy.
Several landlords whose houses are leased by the students are said to have received notices from the students that they will no longer be their tenants by the end of this year.
