Vipingo: After a 14-year hiatus, the construction of the Sh 8.5 billion Ronald Ngala Utalii College is rapidly taking shape in Vipingo. The project has been marred by allegations of corruption and impropriety that stalled it for years. The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary, Rebecca Miano, gave an extensive tour of the magnificent project located on 59 acres of land near the Indian Ocean.
According to Kenya News Agency, the institution is set to become a centre of excellence for the hospitality sector in line with Vision 2030. The college is anticipated to significantly contribute to the Blue Economy and Cruise Tourism sectors by offering specialised training to enhance skill development and capacity building. “A lot of work has been done; so far the project is about 83 per cent complete,” stated CS Miano, who was accompanied by board members of the Tourism Fund.
The Cabinet Secretary met with the board to discuss the operationalisation plan and the schedule for opening the college. She expr
essed optimism that the institution would be operational by the end of the first quarter of next year, with the first cohort of students being admitted in April 2025. Once fully operational, the college will have the capacity to train up to 3000 students per cohort.
CS Miano highlighted that the college is expected to meet market needs in the region and internationally by providing specialised training in the hospitality sector. She commended the Tourism Trust Fund Trustees for their efforts in ensuring the project’s progress and urged them to continue working diligently to deliver the college to Kenyans.
The final touches are being put on training halls, modern kitchens, hostels, demo centres, and staff quarters. CS Miano noted that resource unavailability was a major challenge in the project’s delay, but the board has developed an elaborate plan to complete it. The board has assured her that they will begin receiving applications, with training set to commence in April.
Phase two of the project will invo
lve constructing a seven-star hotel, which will serve as a laboratory and training centre for the college. The hotel will be built on 18 acres of land adjacent to the college. “That will be a value addition to phase one, a seven-star. The board is working on various models on how to construct the seven stars because of the availability of resources; we need to look at various possibilities through partnerships and other models,” stated the CS.