President William Ruto at the inspection of Emurua Dikirr Modern Market and laying a foundation stone for the Boma Yangu Transmara East KMTC Student's Village in Emurua Dikirr, Narok. In a mugshot of former MP Johana Ng'eno/PCSPresident William Ruto has announced plans to establish a Sh1.2 billion university in Emurua Dikirr constituency, Narok county, in honour of the late MP Johana Ng'eno.
Ruto said the proposed university would fulfil a pledge he had made to residents and provide higher education opportunities for students from Emurua Dikirr, Narok county and other parts of the country.
Speaking at the Mamboleo Modern Market in Narok county on the second day of his development tour, Ruto said he had committed to establishing a university in the constituency after residents asked for one.
"You asked me as residents of Emurua Dikirr that you want a university. Today, I have brought you Sh1.2 billion to construct a university for Emurua Dikirr which will be named after our brother Johana Ng'eno," Ruto said.
“That university that I am going to build will help children from here in Emurua Dikirr, Narok and other parts of Kenya."
Ng’eno served as the area MP before his death.
Ng’eno was among six people who died after a helicopter crashed in Chepkiep, Mosop Constituency, Nandi County, on February 28, 2026.
The lawmaker and his aides were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.
Ng’eno, born in 1972, was serving his third consecutive term in Parliament, having first been elected in 2013.
He served as Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works and was also a member of the Liaison Committee.
In the 12th Parliament, he sat on the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee. Under his leadership, the Housing Committee played a key role in the passage of the Affordable Housing Act, 2024, providing a framework for access to decent and affordable housing in Kenya.
Plans to establish a university in Emurua Dikirr are building on earlier efforts by Narok County leaders to bring higher education closer to residents while honouring the late area MP Johana Ng’eno.
The county government had previously proposed setting up a satellite campus of Maasai Mara University in the constituency and committed 100 acres of land for the project.
Ruto said the institution would expand access to university education while contributing to the economic transformation of the area.
He said education remained a key tool for reducing poverty and creating employment opportunities, particularly in regions where access to institutions of higher learning remains limited.
"I have said the issues about Narok county, for Emurua Dikirr residents, the way to eliminate poverty and open job opportunities is to have a university here," he said.
Ruto is on a two-day development tour of Narok county during which he is launching, inspecting and commissioning infrastructure, agricultural, energy and commercial projects.
On Tuesday, the President handed over the Suswa and Ntulele modern markets in Narok East, opened the Ololulung'a Mama Mboga Modern Market and launched construction of the Sh300 million Kilgoris Modern Market.
He also commissioned construction of the Sh1.2 billion Narok International Airport and said the project would be completed within two months.
He further launched construction of the Mulot-Sogoo-Tendwet-Saptet, Enengetia-Olposimoru and Ololulung'a-Ewaso Ng'iro roads.
Ruto also launched the Sh62 million Olposimoru Power Station in Narok West and announced additional rural electrification programmes.
On Wednesday, he opened the Kenya Medical Training College campus in Narok Town and officially launched the construction of a student hostel at the institution.
"I will today lay the stone for the construction of a hostel for our youth. We have given them Sh100 million for that work," Ruto said.
The President said the projects, which also include affordable housing units in Kilgoris subcounty, are part of his administration's efforts to accelerate development in Narok and improve access to essential services and economic opportunities.
Ruto used the opportunity to urge Narok residents to focus on the development record of his government rather than divisive or tribal politics, defending his administration's regional and national agenda.
Ruto also announced Sh180 million for the construction of hostels for young people in Emurua Dikirr.
“Today I am going to launch the construction of hostels for our young people. We have given them Sh180 million to do that work,” he said.
The President also announced plans to upgrade a road serving the area, saying the government had abandoned an earlier plan to simply recarpet the existing low-volume seal road in favour of a more extensive reconstruction.
“I have also seen your road here, which was initially a low-volume seal road. We have now allocated money for the construction of a new international class B road,” he said.
Ruto said the road would run from Salgaa through Chebole, Abosi and Shartuka, strengthening Emurua Dikirr’s connection to the wider regional road network.
He said construction would begin later this year, with the official launch scheduled for October.
“I will be coming to launch the construction in October,” Ruto said.
