MPs have summoned former Baringo Senator Gideon Moi over the prolonged holding of more than 5,000 acres of land that rightfully belongs to Rift Valley National Polytechnic, formerly known as Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology.
During a session of the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, members questioned why the board of trustees has only transferred 200 acres, valued at Kes 1.08 billion, to the institution. This transfer falls short of the full handover required by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act of 2014.
The committee, chaired by Bumula MP Wamboka Wanami, has summoned Gideon Moi, who heads the board of trustees, to explain the matter.
The late President Daniel Moi donated the land to the institution in 1972 after members of the public purchased it. The land was then placed under the board of trustees to hold in trust for the school.
Wamboka criticized the situation, stating, “If the late Moi intended to donate land, he should have given his own. Public institution land must remain with the institution. This is why we are summoning Gideon Moi to clarify the issue.”
As part of efforts to reclaim the land, Wamboka also announced plans for the committee to visit the polytechnic and investigate why the land was not fully handed over as mandated by law.