Court halts relocation of Moi Teachers College students to pave way for establishment of Kabarnet University

The much anticipated establishment of the first ever public university in Baringo County may have to be delayed after the High Court in Kabarnet stopped the plans following a petition.

Justice Reuben Nyakundi sitting in Eldoret has stopped the Ministry of Education from relocating Moi Teachers College (MTTC)-Baringo students to Talai Secondary School to make way for Kabarnet University.

Justice Nyakundi issued the interim orders following a petition by Godfrey Rotich, Kaplelach Lavenda Jelagat, Kipyego Kigen Gideon, and Chesang Florence.

The petitioners through their lawyer Rutto Edwin Yator of Yator and Associates Advocates, argued that the directive was abrupt, unlawful and threatened to displace more than 1,000 students, teachers and support staff.

The petitioners told the court that the order, issued verbally by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba during the college’s 29th graduation ceremony on July 31, 2025, lacked an official relocation plan and would disrupt ongoing academic programmes, and projects.

Through a certificate of urgency, the petitioners further claimed the CS acted beyond his powers by invoking a June 13 Gazette Notice establishing Kabarnet University without proper transition guidelines.

They argue that the Ministry of Education failed to issue official communication to both learners and staff of Moi Teachers College-Baringo the translocation procedure and timelines to enable them prepare adequately.

“Unless this honourable court intervenes forthwith by granting urgent conservatory relief, the relocation will cause irreparable academic disruption, emotional stress, and social displacement to learners and staff,” the petitioners argued.

The case is set to be heard inter-parties on August 11 before Duty Judge P.J. Otieno.

Speaking last week during an inspection tour of Talai Secondary School in Baringo Central constituency, CS Ogamba announced that Sh100 million has been allocated to refurbish existing infrastructure and construction of new facilities to accommodate the trainees.

According to the CS, students currently enrolled at Talai Secondary School will be transferred to the neighbouring schools beginning September.

Following its gazettement on June 13, Kabarnet University College was listed on the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) portal, with admissions of up to 1,400 students expected to begin in September.

AVDelta News also established that MTTC, with a capacity of 720 students, is currently overstretched with an enrollment of 1,025 trainees.

It also emerged that the institution is also expecting over 300 new trainees in September in addition to 1,025 continuing students in their second and third year.

The new university is expected to address the growing demand for higher education in Baringo County and its neighboring regions.

The lack of a university in the county had adversely affected residents seeking university education, forcing them to travel to nearby towns including Eldoret and Nakuru to seek education.

By leveraging support from Moi University and the Commission for University Education (CUE), the new institution aims to offer quality programmes that align with national development goals.

In 2015, CUE had announced that it was ready to accredit one of the institutions in Baringo County, into a constituent College of Egerton University, as long as it meets the requirements.

However, the exercise had been delayed owing to disagreement among locals and leaders on where the university was to be located.

Five(5) universities have since shut down their campuses in Baringo County in the last five(5) years in what has been attributed to lack of political goodwill, dealing a blow to students wishing to pursue higher education.