Three Kenyan universities to develop US$200m new hostels

Three Kenyan public universities are set to develop new hostels with the help of the National Treasury which is aiming to raise approximately US$ 200m for the project. This initiative will hopefully host an extra 30,000 new beds.

The universities include: Embu University College, South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) and Moi University, being developed through public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Treasury Cabinet secretary Henry Rotich confirmed the news and said Embu College would get an additional 4,000 beds, Seku 5,400 while Moi would get an extra 14,000; bringing the total to 23,400. However the total number has now been raised to 30,000.

Additionally, the treasury explained that it will soon hold an investor conference at Inter-Continental Hotel, Nairobi, with potential bidders to fund the new projects at the universities.

Scarcity of hostels

Several institutions of higher learning are experiencing a scarcity of hostels and bed space due to an increase in student enrolment. It is further understood that most schools have sought the Treasury’s approval to use PPPs to finance hostels to house 60,000 beds, among them being JKUAT, Maseno, Egerton and the Kenya school of Government.

Potential investors, the PPPU and the vice-chancellors of the universities are expected to attend the upcoming meeting in order to help raise funds and also brainstorm on the way forward.