Education Transfer of Moi Teachers College Students to Talai School Halts Following Legal Intervention
High Court Halts Forced Relocation of Students from Moi Teachers College
The planned relocation of students from Moi Teachers College to Talai Secondary School has been temporarily halted by the High Court in Kabarnet and Eldoret. The decision comes following a petition filed by five residents of Baringo County, who argue that the move is unlawful and disruptive.
The relocation was intended to make way for the construction of Kabarnet University, but the court intervened to prevent over 1,000 students, teachers, and support staff from being displaced to a secondary school lacking equivalent facilities. This would result in irreparable academic disruption, according to the petitioners.
The Ministry of Education's directive is being challenged as ultra vires (beyond legal power), unconstitutional (violating articles 10, 43, 47, and 232 of the Kenyan Constitution), and poorly planned without official communication or transitional frameworks to prepare affected parties.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi issued interim conservatory orders to prevent the implementation of the relocation, pending the outcome of full hearings. The court has set a hearing date for August 11, 2025, to consider submissions from both the petitioners and the Ministry of Education.
The petitioners seek not only to halt the relocation but also to reinstate displaced students back to Moi Teachers College-Baringo-Seretunin. They argue that the government contravenes the right to fair administrative action by failing to issue an official communication to both the learners and staff of the college on the transitional procedure and timelines.
Furthermore, Rutto, the lawyer representing the petitioners, argues that the ministry is using administrative sanction to forcefully relocate the students to implement a questionable notice. He also notes that there was no framework or gazette notice published to assert the relocation, making it unlawful.
In response to the court's decision, Rutto stated that the immediate displacement would cause involuntary withdrawal of learners from ongoing academic programs. He also faulted the ministry for failing to issue an official communication to both the learners and staff of the college on the transitional procedure and timelines.
As of early August 2025, the court has effectively stopped the forced relocation pending the outcome of full hearings, reflecting significant legal and community resistance to the Ministry's plan to repurpose Moi Teachers College premises for Kabarnet University construction. The case continues to be closely monitored by all parties involved.
Online education may become a viable option for students of Moi Teachers College, given the court's halting of their relocation. The petitioners, in their arguments, claim the government's failure to issue official communication about the transitional process for their education-and-self-development violates their rights. Political debates may ensue about the appropriateness of the epaper notice issued by the Ministry of Education, which lacked a legal framework for the planned relocation.
