Residents of Baringo County are celebrating the official opening of Kabarnet University, which will be located in Kabarnet town in Baringo County, marking a major milestone in the region’s educational and socio-economic development.
Ann Sogomo, a resident of Kabarnet, said the university is a welcome development.
“We are grateful to the government for bringing higher education closer to us. It will ease the burden for parents and motivate many young people to pursue university studies,” she said.
Emily Kwambai echoed similar sentiments, saying the university would also have a broader impact on the region. “Apart from education, this institution will spur economic growth, Businesses will thrive, and job opportunities will increase,” she noted.
Baringo Central MP Joshua Kandie expressed his excitement, calling the development historic. “For the first time in our history, Baringo can proudly say it has a university. This is a dream come true for the people of this county,” he said.
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Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi said the establishment of Kabarnet University College represents more than just academic progress.
“This college will be a hub for academic excellence, research, and innovation,” Governor Cheboi stated. “It will be transformative—not just for Baringo County, but for the entire region. We envision it as a center of growth that will uplift our people socially and economically.”
Kabarnet University is expected to operate under the mentorship of Moi University until 2026, after which it will attain full autonomy and be chartered as an independent institution.
As anticipation builds for its first intake, residents and leaders alike are hopeful that the university will mark the beginning of a new chapter for education and development in Baringo County.
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The newly gazetted institution, which will operate as a constituent college of Moi University until 2026, is set to offer greater access to higher education for local students, many of whom have previously been forced to seek university education in far-off regions.
The gazettement was done by Education cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba on June 13, 2025 through the Kabarnet University College Legal Order 2025, in a bid to expand access to higher education in the Rift Valley region while accelerating research, innovation, and industrial linkages.
According to the Order, Kabarnet University College becomes a corporate body with perpetual succession and a common seal, with the authority to own property, enter into contracts, sue or be sued, and engage in financial transactions.
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The University is expected to be among others, provide directly, or in collaboration with other institutions of higher learning, facilities for technological, professional, and scientific education, advance knowledge and its practical application by research and other means, and disseminate the outcomes of research by various means, and commercially exploit the results of such research.
It will be managed by a Management Board consisting of the Principal who shall be the Chairperson, the Deputy Principals, the Registrars, finance officer, the chief legal officer; and other members of senior management Council.
By Kimutai Lang’at
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