Webuye East member of Parliament Alfred Sambu has reaffirmed that Masinde Muliro University, Webuye Campus, will not be closed. He urged county residents to allay the fears that the Campus will be shut down as a result of PanPaper mills reopening.
Alfred Sambu said, “This campus won’t be closed down as some people are purporting. As a community, we have invested a lot in this, and it has helped changed the economy of the region.” He said the business in Webuye town has been revived due to the campus and education has been brought closer to the Bungoma residents.
Sambu promised to bring all the stakeholders involved to deliberate on the issue and to see whether the reopening of Panpaper mills will affect the institution’s operations, given that residents need both the Paper mills and the academic institution.
“The institution has provided not only education opportunities for our children but also job opportunities and has empowered our people,” said Sambu.
Maraka ward MCA Ali Majani Mutoka shared the same view, adding that they had struggled to make sure the Campus reopens after it was previously closed down due to the small number of students present at that time.
The institution has more than eight hundred government sponsored students and more than two hundred self-sponsored students and this has positively affected the economy of Webuye town and its environs.
On the issue of reopening of the giant Panpaper mills, Sambu said that it has taken too long as was expected due to the proper renovations that were meant to be done, adding that some containers to be replaced had to be imported, and he urged residents to be patient.
He said Panpaper mills will provide job opportunities, but insisted the first beneficiaries should be former workers and people from Webuye east, where the factory is located.
Concerning the recently concluded Bungoma County Investment forum, Sambu said it was a very good initiative that he would’ve liked to attend in person but he was never informed in time, citing lack of efficient communication. He said it is important to bring everyone on board when such an important program is planned so that it can be beneficial both to the County and the common mwananchi.