The Ronald Ngalla Utalii College is set to officially begin training the first 1000 students in the hospitality sector beginning September this year after over 12 years waiting.
Principal Secretary for Tourism Dr Julius Bitok said the first cohort of students shall report at the institution located at Vipingo in Kilifi County in the next 40 days.
Speaking after an inspection tour of the College while accompanied by the Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, Kenya Utalii College Principal and CEO Mark Ogendi he said the facility is currently 90 percent complete.
“All is set for the institution to begin operations and it’s the best in Africa in design, it will help enable government meet target of 5 million tourists by 2030,” he said.
Bitok said the College will take training of tourism and hospitality to another level in the country and asked leaders not to be reckless on the statements they make on Tourism.
He assured tourists globally that Kenya was safe, secure and has best training facilities including Ronald Ngalla Utalii college, adding that it will provide more employment opportunities to satisfy cruise ship tourism as there would be short courses related to cruise ship jobs.
Bitok said Ronald Ngalla University college was better than most of the universities in the country that’s why the government had invested heavily in the institution to bring back real tourism in Kenya.
“We are keen to engage other tourism stakeholders to build modern hotels in the country, we have land facing the beach right here and engaging stakeholders to build it under public private partnership,” he said.
On his part the Kilifi Governor said they were happy that the Ronald Ngalla University College was opening its doors in September as they have waited for the last 12 years to see its operating.
Mung’aro said the college will enable quality services to be offered through the training and boost the tourism sector in the country.
He said the institution shall also offer training of cruise ship sea farers courses and that he was happy it was in focus because there was a high demand in cruise ship jobs.
The Governor called on the Principal Secretary for Tourism and Utalii college to offer short courses including the one of cruise ship and others so as to attract more students.
“Reckless statements by leaders are uncalled for, tourism is the backbone of the Coast region, the next thing Riggy G should now say is tourists should stop drinking coffee and tea so that we can be equal,” he said.
Mung’aro said currently hotels in Malindi and Watamu were full while Kilifi was 50 percent full adding that the sector was a delicate industry that once affected it will take time to recover.
He said the College would generate the workforce not only for Kilifi but in Kenya at large through the training.
“The more youth who will be taken for cruise ship jobs will boost the economy of Kilifi when they come back home,” he said.
The Kenya Utalii College Principal and CEO Mark Ogendi said they were ready to create the area as a centre of excellence in tourism and hospitality in the country.
“We are ready to admit even international students coz it’s the best facility to be built here, staff are already at the institution to assist students who will come to register,” he said adding that those interested can apply now through Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and Kenya Utalii College.
He said they have partnered with Bandari college and a French institute to give world class training.
“We have partnerships with cruise ship agencies to offer the training it deserves from those who will be trained at the institution,” he said.
