Eldoret students demonstrate after enrolling in unaccredited college

Hundreds of students who had joined a private college in Eldoret City are counting heavy financial losses amounting to millions of shillings, after finding out the institution lacked official accreditation from the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA).

Several students, visibly distressed, said they had signed up for certificate and diploma programs in fields such as nursing, dental technology, and caregiving at an institution known as Medprime College.

In response to the revelation, over 200 students took to the streets in protest, marching to the Eldoret police station to demand the return of their tuition fees from the college’s owner.

Their anger was fueled by the discovery that the institution, which charged students between Sh50,000 and Sh170,000 each, was operating without the necessary registration and approval from the relevant authorities.

"Our parents have sold animals and maize to raise fees demanded by the college, and we are disappointed to learn what we thought was a training college has turned out to be a scheme to siphon money from us," said one of the female students who declined to be named.

The students halted classes at the college, located on the fifth floor of Sirgoi House in the city's Central Business District, while onlookers watched the scene unfold from a distance.

In response to the growing anger, the college’s directors and instructors were forced to leave their lecture halls and flee on foot, fearing for their safety as the enraged students marched through the streets of Eldoret.

"As you can see, I have been left alone in the office as my boss has left for an unknown place," a receptionist told the journalists who had sought to talk to the branch manager.

Uasin Gishu Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi confirmed that detectives have initiated an investigation into the operations of the college following the protests over its accreditation status.

He urged the students to provide their statements to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers and stated that the college’s leadership would also be summoned to give their side of the story.

"We have begun investigating the concerns raised by the students regarding the operations of the institution in Eldoret City," Mwanthi stated.