Public funds set aside to improve education standards have once again come under scrutiny after Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology was linked to a controversial Ksh78 million swimming pool project that stalled midway.
What was supposed to be a modern facility that would serve students and become a symbol of pride for the institution has instead turned into a scandal marked by mismanagement, confusion, and wasted resources.
Both taxpayers and students remain the biggest losers as questions continue to arise about how the money was used and why the project collapsed.
The swimming pool project, valued at Ksh78,200,692, was highlighted by the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education during an inspection tour on September 1.
The team, led by Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka, pointed out serious irregularities in how the project was managed. Initially, the university planned to build a standard Olympic-size pool, but management later changed the design to an Olympic Standard pool, which came with higher costs and more technical requirements such as specific depths, lane markings, and competition-level technology.
This decision made it impossible for the contractor to complete the project with the available funds.By the time work stopped, only 65 percent of the project was complete, and both the contractor and the university agreed to terminate the contract.
Lawmakers have questioned why the design was changed in the first place, especially without considering the financial limitations. MP Wanami Wamboka accused the university of misusing public funds and further revealed that the contract had expired but was illegally renewed.
He said lawmakers want to review the documents to establish who made the decisions and whether there was deliberate misuse of resources.
Students, who were the intended beneficiaries of the facility, were not consulted on the changes. Audit reports also revealed that the management extended the contract illegally after it had already lapsed.
This raised concerns of collusion and possible cover-ups. Legislators now want to know whether vested interests or kickbacks influenced the alterations. Meanwhile, learners continue to go without the promised facility, despite millions being spent.
Parents and taxpayers are demanding answers, and lawmakers have promised to push for accountability.The committee also flagged other stalled projects at the university, including biometric gadgets for the ICT department that had been fully paid for but never installed.
This raised further doubts about how funds were being handled within the institution.
The situation at Masinde Muliro University reflects broader problems in other public universities. At the University of Kabianga, MPs found that a library project worth Ksh834 million had been stalled for more than seven years, standing incomplete at 72 percent.
Despite being scheduled for completion in 2020, it remains unfinished. The management cited insufficient government funding, but lawmakers challenged them to embrace alternative ways of generating revenue.
In addition, it was discovered that over Ksh3 million in imprest had been irregularly used to fuel vehicles even though the university already had a contract with a fuel supplier.
Legislators have criticized the interference in critical university departments such as HR and procurement, noting that professionals are unable to work independently.
They stressed the need for proper planning and accountability to prevent further waste of public resources.
The stalled Masinde Muliro University swimming pool now stands as a physical reminder of poor planning and mismanagement.
With Ksh78 million already spent and no results to show, the scandal underlines the urgent need for reforms in how projects in public institutions are managed.
Students continue to miss out on facilities that could have enriched their education, while taxpayers continue to wait for transparency and accountability.
Unless concrete action is taken against those responsible, such failures will likely continue across other universities.
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