Kono University Updates Higher Education Minister on Construction and Academic Progress.

The Kono University of Science and Technology (KUST) has updated the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, on the progress of its ongoing construction and academic operations. The meeting, attended by key university officials, focused on infrastructure development, student enrollment, staffing challenges, and funding constraints.

Dr. Wurie reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting KUST, emphasising its strategic role in advancing science and technology education in the country. She also introduced the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tamba Jamiru, an academic with extensive experience from South Africa. She highlighted the importance of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), led by Ing. Monica Sellu Kamara, in ensuring the timely completion of the university’s infrastructure.

Progress and Challenges

Dr. Sama Mondeh, Acting Director of Research and Development, provided insights into KUST’s establishment in 2021 and its challenges due to loan arrangements with ECOWAS. He explained that although the university was expected to be operational within two years, delays in funding led the government to launch a transition team in September 2023.

Since the transition team began work in October, the university successfully admitted its first batch of 158 students in January 2024, with 149 officially enrolled across four disciplines: Mining Engineering, Computer Science, Business Information Systems, and Agricultural Land Resource Management.

Dr. Mondeh highlighted staffing as a major challenge, stating that KUST currently has 26 faculty members, including ten full-time lecturers, but lacks female lecturers. He also noted that the university operates from two Government Technical Institutes in Kono, which lack essential laboratory facilities.

“We need at least 30 highly qualified staff, including associate professors, and additional infrastructure support to maintain high-quality education,” Dr. Mondeh stressed.

Construction and Funding Updates

Vice-Chancellor Professor Jamiru revealed that he had conducted a baseline review of the university’s challenges and initiated a staff appraisal process, with advertisements placed for key positions such as Registrar and Finance Director.

Ing. Monica Sellu Kamara, PIU Project Coordinator, disclosed that KUST’s construction is a $34 million initiative funded through the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and India EXIM Bank. She explained that delays in disbursement had stalled progress but noted that the government had invested $2 million to initiate pre-construction work.

“Construction was halted in October 2023 due to payment issues, but with the government’s recent interventions, we have resumed work and aim to complete the project within two years instead of three,” Ing. Kamara assured.

Call for Government Support

Dr. Mondeh and Professor Jamiru called for continued government support to fast-track the construction of the university’s main campus at Fandu Village, ensuring students and staff have access to adequate learning and working facilities.

Minister Wurie commended the progress made despite challenges and reaffirmed the government’s dedication to ensuring KUST becomes a leading institution for science and technology in Sierra Leone.