The completion of the main campus of Koitaleel Samoei University College is expected to transform Nandi Hills town by expanding access to higher education, creating employment and stimulating local economic growth.
Principal Professor Winston Akala said the completion of the long-awaited facility marked a significant achievement for the institution and the surrounding community after construction stalled during the previous government's tenure.
Speaking at the campus, Professor Akala praised the government for ensuring the project reached completion.
He said the institution had recorded growing enrolment at its Mosoriot Campus, admitting 1,700 students during the current academic year.
“This year we were lucky to admit 1,700 students, bringing the population to slightly over 5,300 students. This is really phenomenal growth,” he said.
Professor Akala said the government had also injected funds into the construction of 1,000 hostel units expected to accommodate 10,000 students, an investment he said would support the institution's long-term expansion.
University seeks sports science facilities
He added that the university college hoped to establish a distinctive academic identity in sports science, leveraging Nandi County's rich sporting heritage.
“I want to make a passionate plea to the line ministry and the President that the niche learning area that the university wishes to do a lot of learning and research in is sports science,” he said.
To support this ambition, the institution is seeking a modern sports complex equipped with a gymnasium and an Olympic-standard swimming pool.
According to Professor Akala, the proposed facilities would strengthen sports training and research while creating opportunities for students interested in careers in sports and related disciplines.
Construction creates employment opportunities
University council chair Professor Josephat Yego said the construction of the campus had already delivered economic benefits to the surrounding community through job creation.
“The construction of this structure has created employment for the surrounding community. About 350 people have been working at this project,” said Professor Yego.
He noted that the project had provided an important source of income for local youths, allowing residents to benefit directly from the development even before the university college begins full operations at the new campus.
Local businesses anticipate economic growth
Nandi Kaburwo Council of Elders chair Augustine Kisorio said the institution would further boost businesses in Nandi Hills by increasing demand for housing, food, transport and other services.
He added that the institution would also reduce the financial burden on families whose children would be able to study closer to home.
“This institution will contribute to the economy of Nandi Hills town. Residents will be able to pursue courses easily by operating from the comfort of their homes,” Kisorio said.
The campus's completion is therefore expected to mark a new chapter for Nandi Hills, with the institution poised to serve as an education hub while supporting employment, business growth and specialised sports science training.
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