Following the recent pomp and colour unveiling of the ultra-modern gate at Njoro based Egerton University on June 14 this year, most Kenyans have been left wondering how the Kenyan Universities are currently trying to outdo each other in terms of infrastructure and more in specific construction of Ultra Modern University gates.
Egerton University recently hit the headlines after it unveiled its’ gate which was constructed at a whopping Sh70 million. This was done after the construction works took two years to complete.
The gate which has enhanced security features was launched by the institution’s former Vice-Chancellor Prof Rose Mwonya in 2017. The gate also doubles up as a security control complex.
The gate which has left many tongues wagging consists of a central piece, entrance together with an exit. The central piece comprises of a guardroom, control room and a watchtower.
Far before Egerton could unveil their new gate, Kenyatta University had already taken the lead. In 2015, the Thika Road-based institution opened its brand new gate that came with a dual carriageway.
The entire construction project was done in record time and is thought to have cost tens of millions of Shillings. With its completion, Kenyans were left asking questions on where the second prestigious university in the country got money from enabling it to carry out such construction within the shortest time possible.
With the entry of Professor Laban Ayiro as the acting Vice Chancellor of Moi University in 2016, the institution announced its plans to build a multi Million gate to the Kesses based institution.
Interestingly, gate construction became professor’s first assignment at the once-vibrant university which had been ailing when he took over. The plans were however halted on January 2019 after the Auditor general Edward Auko questioned the sh4.8million that was to be used in the construction.
The construction works which was started in 2017 and was supposed to take 16 weeks has so far stalled pending approval from the auditor’s office.
JKUAT recently also tried to revamp their gate and wall but according to reports, the arrangement did not go well and the project had to be put on hold and the money set aside for construction diverted to more pressing issues.
The unveiling of Egerton’s prestigious gate came at a time reports were showing that most Kenyan universities were running broke and were at the verge of being declared bankrupt. Some of the
Universities crying that they don't have money yet EGERTON UNIVERSITY recently splashed KSH 65 Million on a GATE. The priorities of our universities are warped. They've been turned into academic tuck shops. #Egerton40graduation pic.twitter.com/0OKqCoIkBC
— Ken Aseka (@KenAseka) June 21, 2019
Ken Aseka’s sentiments were also echoed by other Kenyans who maintained that such institutions should be focussing their energies more on performance and the quality of education rather than spending much of their resources on mear infrastructures.
We cannot keep praising Infrastructure over the Core reason for the existence of a university that is Acquisition of Knowledge. With Nonesense like "Missing marks" and "delayed transcripts" e.t.c we have nothing to praise these universities for.#EgertonSecurityComplex
— S.N. Nyamao 🇰🇪 (@snnyamao) June 14, 2019
Egerton university students are boasting about their Modern gate instead of modern research ,labs ,student welfare etc ….
This crop of kids is just on another shallow level of thinking…. smh— Butula's Finest (@SamMacoha) June 21, 2019
Egerton University Hii gate wanafunzi watatumia kama lecture hall ama referee kwa C.V and after learning in a "secure" place whats the probability you get a job leave alone a secure one?
— nixonnguyo (@nixonnguyo) June 14, 2019
CAS/PS Prof. Collette Suda today officially opened the Egerton university security control gate and later launched the institutions strategic plan 2018-2023 in Nakuru. Present was the Council Chair Dr. Hukka Wario, the VC Prof. Rose Mwonya among other invited guests. pic.twitter.com/HspEaGZ0Vl
— Prof. Collette A. Suda (@ProfCSuda) June 14, 2019