The government of Kenya has revived construction of Ronald Ngala Utalii College project in Kilifi County that had stalled. Chairman of the Kenya Tourism Fund, Afonse Kioko confirmed the report and said that the fund is set to have the first intake of students at the College by early next year upon completion of the institution.
The Ronald Ngala Utalii College was initiated way back in 2007 but stalled after Parliamentary Investment Committee (PIC) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption commission (EACC) raised concern over increased cost of construction.
The college being built on a 40-acre plot is a multi-faceted tourism institution, which would train personnel for the hospitality industry in Kenya and beyond. Mulji Devral and Brothers Company was awarded the project contract. The project was initially being undertaken by the Kenya Utalii College before it was transferred to the Tourism Fund. The new institution located Vipingo will have modern kitchens, sports complex and conferencing facilities.
Diversify tourist attractions
Upon completion it will be a model college, which would be beneficial to students from Africa and around the globe once it was completed. Chairman Kioko pointed that the hard economic times brought by the Coronavirus pandemic, the government is encouraging players in the hospitality industry to diversify tourist attractions instead of over relying on the traditional wildlife sector.
โCovid-19 has dealt a big blow to the fragile sector and we are now encouraging domestic tourism as well as diversification of attractions. The rich cultural heritage across the country was one sector that can help encourage domestic as well as international tourism. The College is going to be 50% complete by early next year and will be the biggest in Africa. We are set to admit the first intake of students to train in the hospitality industry by early next year,โ said Mr. Kioko.
