Pokot South residents oppose relocation of collapsed Chepareria TTI

Residents of Pokot South Constituency have opposed plans to relocate the collapsed Chepareria Technical Training Institute (TTI) to another location, insisting that the institution must be reconstructed at its original site in Kaptekeu, Chepareria.

The institute, which was under construction at Nasukuta in 2017, collapsed due to poor workmanship, halting what residents say was a transformative project that had already ignited hope for education, employment, and development in the marginalized area.

The Sh150 million project, funded by the National Government through the Ministry of Education and mentored by Kitale National Polytechnic, was being built on 50 acres of land donated by the local community. 

It was intended to address the growing demand for skilled labour in West Pokot County.

However, residents now claim there are attempts to move the project to Tukumo’s Chinese camp area on a much smaller piece of land, a move they describe as ill-intentioned.

“We say no to the relocation. Let them set up the TTI within the 50 acres of land at Kaptekeu. Those claiming the area is swampy are liars. This land is stony and solid. The collapse happened because of shoddy work, not the land,” said community leader Johnson Mukelima during a public participation forum held at the former site.

Mukelima added that the community was never involved in any discussions to buy new land for the project and vowed to resist what he termed a plot to deny Pokot South residents their rightful share of development.

Residents say they have waited for nine years while other constituencies in the county, Kacheliba and Kapenguria, already benefit from fully operational TTIs. 

They fear that the continued delay risks pushing reformed youths back into retrogressive practices such as banditry and cattle rustling.

Jane Chepengat, a resident, said the institute was not just about education but also about stimulating the local economy.

“If the TTI is built here, land prices will rise, businesses will grow, and our children will study closer to home. We have suffered from sending them far away, spending a lot of money. The government should listen to us,” she said.

Other residents accused leaders of corruption and collusion with cartels to frustrate the project. 

Village elder Nguriakol Lokwam recalled how the contractor, Thekeini, had used donkeys to fetch water for construction instead of proper machinery and had ignored warnings from the National Construction Authority after cracks appeared.

“They marked an ‘X’ on the building to stop work, but the contractor went on to pour the slab and prepare for roofing.

The collapse was bound to happen. It is corruption and negligence, not the land,” Lokwam said.

Elders and youth leaders also warned that relocating the project from 50 acres to a mere 2–5 acres would reduce its long-term potential, including prospects of upgrading it into a university in the future.

“We will not allow this. The Tukumo land can be a satellite campus, but the main institute belongs here at Kaptekeu. Our children are taxpayers and deserve the same development enjoyed by other constituencies,” said Solomon Kanoin, another resident.

Kitale National Polytechnic Principal Dr. Tom Mulati confirmed that the government still has Ksh 24 million in its accounts for Chepareria TTI and that a Ministry of Works report had attributed the collapse to the contractor’s mistake.

He said plans are underway to reconstruct the institute.

“The area MP was to meet the Principal Secretary for Housing to seek approval to restart. The matter has also been raised in Parliament,” he said.

Kipkomo Deputy County Commissioner Shila Imbanga assured residents that the project was being revived, while the Attorney General continues to investigate the collapse.

Community leaders led by Moses Lotim, chairperson of the TTI committee, emphasized that residents are united in their stand and will not allow relocation.

“We carried out public participation to reaffirm our position. The government must reconstruct the TTI here, on the 50 acres we allocated. We cannot accept anything less,” Lotim said.

For now, residents of Pokot South remain resolute, demanding that the government fast-track the reconstruction of the collapsed institute and deliver on the promise of technical education that was derailed nine years ago.