The national government through the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) has completed the building of a Sh80 Million Technical Training College (TTC) at Ilshapani area in Narok South Sub County.
Speaking to KNA in his office Saturday, Narok South NG-CDF Manager Antony Ole Kilorei said the institution that was ready for opening has a capacity of admitting 300 students and sits on a 10-acre piece of land.
“The institution could have been opened earlier but delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic that affected the entire world. Everything is now in place for the learners to start flocking in,” he reiterated.
Ole Kilorei said the Ministry of Education gave out Sh70 million while NG-CDF contributed Sh10 million in building the institute, located in a volatile land where the Kipsigis and Maasai communities have been battling over land ownership.
“We expect the institute to help in bringing cohesion to the hitherto troubled land. This is because the idle youths who have been used to warring activities can now be absorbed by the institution to do technical courses depending on their talents,” added the NG-CDF manager.
The NG-CDF manager asked the residents to take advantage of the local institute to enroll their children so that they too could gain skills that could help in building the nation.
“We do not have to fight anymore because we have something to keep us busy. I believe even those who dropped out of school at an early age deserve a chance at the facility,” he said.
He observed that the institute would also help girls who fell pregnant and were unable to complete their studies to do courses of their choice.
“The technical college will give hope to many girls who are talented but had lost hope because they fell pregnant at an early age. They will also get a chance to train for courses they were good at,” Ole Kilorei reiterated.
Narok South Sub County Deputy Commissioner Felix Kisalu said the institute was a big achievement for area residents as it would promote peace.
“The two communities, Kipsigis and Maasais who engage in on and off clashes will for the first time have something that will bring them together. They shall learn under the same roof, while sharing different courses,” said Kisalu.
The courses expected to be taught in the institution include wielding, tailoring, electrical engineering, carpentry, masonry among others.
The college is situated in an area where early this year, five people were killed and tens left nursing injuries after the two communities living in the area battled each other.
This conflict in the area that borders Maasai Mau forest is believed to have been fueled by unresolved land issues that have lasted for several years.
However, the government has since moved in to carry up a clean-up land exercise where land officials were expected to ascertain the correct land boundaries of all group ranches in the area.
By Ann Salaton
