Hospitality industry training, coastal youth employment, tourism sector growth, maritime courses
Ronald Ngala Utalii College (Vipingo)
KES 7.6 billion flagship hospitality training college on 59 acres at Vipingo, Kilifi County, complementing Kenya Utalii College Nairobi.
AnnouncedJanuary 1, 2012
StartedJanuary 1, 2013
Expected CompletionDecember 31, 2025
Financials
Offering PriceKsh 7,600,000,000KES
Timeline
Construction Begins
Phase 1 construction commenced on 59-acre Vipingo site
Cost Escalation Scandal
Parliamentary inquiry questioned cost escalation from KES 1.9 billion to KES 8.9 billion before being scaled to KES 4.9 billion
88% Completion
College reported at 88% completion with plans to admit first students
Scandals & Controversies
Cost Escalation Scandal
January 1, 2020Parliamentary inquiry questioned cost escalation from KES 1.9 billion to KES 8.9 billion before being scaled to KES 4.9 billion
Contractors
Tourism Fund Contractors
Construction ConsortiumMultiple contractors building the college in phases, funded by Tourism Fund
Politicians Involved
Uhuru Kenyatta
President of KenyaDesignated the college as a national flagship project
Najib Balala
Cabinet Secretary for TourismOversaw the Tourism Fund's investment in the college
Benefits
Description
The Ronald Ngala Utalii College is a government flagship hospitality training institution being built on 59 acres of land at Rea Vipingo in Kilifi County. Named after the late coastal political leader Ronald Ngala, the college is funded by the Tourism Fund and will complement Kenya Utalii College in Nairobi. It features administration and tuition blocks, hostels, staff quarters, a dining hall, practical training restaurant, cruise ship training areas, a library, and sports complex. Originally budgeted at KES 1.9 billion, costs escalated to KES 8.9 billion before being scaled to KES 4.9 billion, drawing parliamentary scrutiny. The college is at 88% completion as of 2025.
Overview
Largest tourism development investment at the coast, intended to train thousands of hospitality professionals and position coastal Kenya as a global tourism training hub.