The National Assembly Departmental Committee  on Tourism and Wildlife chaired by Hon. Kareke Mbiuki has directed  the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife to stop the construction of the multi-billion Ronald Ngala Utalii College until a probe the Committee has initiated is concluded.

Further, the Committee wants the National Treasury to provide a clear roadmap on how it will finance the project and clear the pending bills which include penalties arising from delayed payment and lack of funding on time.

The first phase of the project, funded by the State through the Tourism Fund, includes administration and tuition blocks, hostels, staff quarters, and a dining hall.

The project which started as a Vision 2030 project was earmarked to be completed in 2018 at cost of Kshs.4.9 billion. This cost has been varied and the project is set to consume up to Kshs.11 billion. The project is 77.74 percent complete.

Addressing a press conference after touring the facility Hon. Mbiuki,  said the National Government needs to make a decision on whether the project remains stalled and continues to accrue interest and penalties, or allocates funds for its completion. 

Hon. Mbiuki directed the Ministry not to allocate any monies for purposes of its completion or settling pending bills as well as penalties, until such a time the committee is seized with the matter, makes a report to be tabled in parliament proposing a funding formula, and a report on the implementation of the project.

“We don’t want the project to be left to the Tourism Fund and Tourism Promotion Fund because they cannot raise the monies owed to the contractor and  consultants,” he added.

According to Hon. Mbiuki, the Ministry and its state agencies cannot be left to finance the remainder of the project because they have other obligations to meet like allocating resources to Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Kenyatta Utalii College among others. 

He added his Committee will be engaging the National Treasury to ensure that the project is allocated monies for the project's completion.

 “We want the National Treasury to come and commit to allocating funds to this project because in the Supplementary Budget, there was zero allocation and in the Budget Policy Statement, the allocation is still nil, once monies are allocated it will supplement what you  have already assigned to the project,” he added.

Tourism Principal Secretary Mr. John Ololtuaa requested the Committee to reconsider its decision to stall the project as money has already been put into it  and the only solution is to complete it.

Members of the Committee present for the inspection tour include; Hon.  Wanjiku John Njuguna (Kiambaa), Hon. Kilel Richard (Bomet East), Hon. Ruku Geoffrey Kiringa (Mbeere South), Hon. Chebor Paul Kibet (Rongai), Hon. Shake Mbogho Peter (Voi), Hon. Mugabe Innocent Maino (Likuyani), Hon. Abdi Khamis Chome (Voi), Hon. Obo Ruweida Mohamed (Lamu East), and Hon. Bedzimba Rashid Juma (Kisauni).