Moi University Spends Ksh.29.8M on Gate Constuction.
The administration of Moi University is under scrutiny following an audit report that revealed the institution spent Ksh.29.8 million on constructing its main gate.
On Wednesday, September 18, Vice Chancellor Prof. Isaac Kosgey was questioned by the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Education. He disclosed that the original budget for the gate had been set at Ksh4.8 million, but the plan was discarded due to the gate’s location on a road reserve.
The committee members, led by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, expressed concern over the revised project costs. They questioned how the amount increased to Ksh25 million and why the full contract payment was made, despite the project remaining incomplete.
Wamboka remarked that it was puzzling how a gate costing Ksh24 million could be built while the institution was facing insolvency. He questioned whether the gate was a multi-storied structure, given the high costs involved.
Social Media Backlash and Criticism
In December 2023, Moi University faced significant criticism on social media after it announced a ceremony to unveil the expensive gate. The university shared photos of its staff surrounding the gate as it was being officially handed over by the contractor, further fueling public outrage.
During the same hearing, the committee was informed of another scandal involving some of the university’s staff members. These employees had fraudulently diverted millions of shillings meant for school fees into a private bank account.
The committee revealed that records showed cheques from other sponsors, amounting to Ksh25 million, had been reversed, while another Ksh17.56 million in fraudulent entries had been made by an employee responsible for managing fee payments. This staff member had access to the system and was entrusted with crediting student accounts.
The committee noted that although the employee was suspended on April 11, 2018, by the time of the audit in October 2019, the case remained unresolved, with no evidence provided of any corrective action.
Prof. Kosgey admitted that fraud had indeed occurred, and the employees in question had purposefully defrauded the university without the administration’s knowledge.
When further questioned about the employees’ punishment, the vice chancellor confirmed that they underwent a disciplinary process, leading to their dismissal. However, one of the staff members had been reinstated after an appeal.
Controversial Investment Decision
In a separate disclosure, the vice chancellor revealed that Moi University had secured a Ksh3 billion loan to purchase a textile company. This decision was harshly criticized by the committee, who argued that the investment made little sense, especially since the company was incurring heavy losses.
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Furthermore, only 600 students out of the 30,000 enrolled at the institution were studying textile-related courses, which cast further doubt on the logic behind the investment.
Moi University Spends Ksh.29.8M on Gate Constuction.
