President William Ruto is set to commission the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Teso Campus on Saturday.
The college is situated next to Kocholia Sub County Hospital.
Apart from the college, President Ruto will also commission Malaba Inland Dry Port, the Surgical Ward at Busia County Referral Hospital and the Mulukoba Fish landing site.
The college whose construction was funded through National Government -Teso North Constituency Development Fund(NG-CDF) started as a satellite of Busia Campus before it became a fully-fledged campus in June 2021.
Addressing the press at KMTC Teso campus on the eve of the President’s tour, Teso North Member of Parliament Oku Kaunya urged all politicians irrespective of their political affiliations to come and receive the President.
“Politics ended after the 2022 elections; what we want now is to team up with the National Government for the benefit of county residents.” He said
KMTC Teso Campus, with a student population of 398, is currently offering five programmes, including Certificate in Health Assistant, Certificate in Health Health Records and Information Technology, diploma in Community Health assistant, diploma in registered nursing /midwifery and diploma in (upgrading) in Health records and Information technology.
Oku said Ruto will meet 100 elders from the community drawn from Teso North and Teso South Constituencies, noting that they have drafted a memorandum to be presented to the head of state.
“Top on the agenda is to give Teso region autonomy of a county. We are among nine marginalized communities in the country that the bill presented in parliament seeks to have these communities’ upgrades to county status, “he said, noting that the Iteso will reap big with access to funding and education.
The MP said they will also prevail upon the President to introduce Certificate in nursing at KMTC Teso Campus, noting that they are behind in education; “West Pokot have Certificate in nursing course, he noted
He added:” Other issues in the memorandum touch on development, the need to appoint sons and daughters from the community into top government jobs like Principal Secretaries, cabinet secretaries, ambassadors among others which currently are nonexistent.
Kaunya said they want the President to help the community in the construction of a dual carriageway from Kocholia to Malaba One Stop Border Post and the construction of a trailer park on the 25-acre piece of land owned by Kenya Ports Authority.
“We also want the President to expedite the tarmacking of Kimaet-Malakisi-Lwakhakha Road, which was approved for tarmacking in 2016, but no action taken to date.
KMTC Deputy Director for Administration Lucy Chebungei said upon arrival, the president will plant tree seedlings before opening the college. He will then sign the visitors’ book before making a tour of the ICT and skills laboratories and meeting selected students from KMTC Teso Campus and other campuses in the Western region.
President Ruto will then head to Amagoro Primary School ground, where he will address residents from the region before heading to Malaba to open the Inland Dry Port.
Those present included KMTC Teso Canpus Principal Daniel Kurui and Teso North Sub County Forest Officer Kennedy Ombati, among others.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
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