Sh700m Meru University’s Mariene Research Institute stalls
The Mariene Research Institute of the Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) has suspended operations.
The Sh700 million project at Abothoguchi Central in Meru County is nearing completion, but construction has ceased due to the contractors’ departure from the site.
The administration offices, laboratories, and libraries are finished, but the partitioning, tiling, cabling, and other finishing touches have not yet been completed due to insufficient funds.
Now, local leaders, led by Meru Assembly Speaker Ayub Bundi, are concerned that the project is flawed due to the incomplete roofing.
“The leaking roof is allowing rainwater to seep into the walls and causing the metals to rust,” caretaker Matumbi Mutonga explained.
Bundi served as Abothoguchi Central MCA for ten years and advocated with the Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders for a university in Central Imenti.
He requested funding to cover the roofs of the completed structures, as only the library is covered.
Last week, when President William Ruto visited Ruiri in Buuri to inaugurate a 24-kilometer road and distribute 5,000 title deeds, Bundi made only one appeal.
“Mr. President, please assist us in obtaining the funds necessary to complete the roofing at Mariene Institute,” Bundi pleaded.
The construction began in 2020, and to date, more than Sh300 million has been expended; an additional Sh329 million is required to complete the project.
During the Mutonga, he pointed out rusty metal and exposed wood, among other features, and warned that rain and moist weather posed a threat to the buildings’ stability.
Mutonga expressed concerns regarding the prolonged period of rain, apprehensive that it could potentially weaken the structural integrity of the buildings.
To safeguard against possible damage from water or sunlight, he suggested the necessity of roofing all the buildings. His suggestion aimed to mitigate any adverse effects caused by the weather conditions.
Professor Romanus Odhiambo, Vice Chancellor of MUST, stated that the research facility was established to strengthen postgraduate studies and enhance undergraduate research programs.
“This informs the move of Meru University to start a postgraduate centre of excellence in Mariene. We are more concerned with how do we impact the agricultural community,” he said.
According to him, they have begun enormous construction, and the various blocks are nearing completion.
In addition to a few undergraduate and even diploma programs in agriculture and veterinary science, he stated that the facility will offer these courses.
Odhiambo stated that the region was endowed with abundant agricultural activities, such as tea and coffee cultivation, which will benefit from the center.
“We also want them to do research that is impactful and create other avenues for the university,” he said.
Sh700m Meru University’s Mariene Research Institute stalls
