As the September intake draws nigh for new students joining Kisii University, hostel owners around the main campus are experiencing massive booking of rooms from freshmen ahead of the opening date.
Students from both the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS) and self-sponsored programmes are expected to report to the institution on September 1-2, this year.
As the haste for hostel booking continues, landlords say continuing students may not be able to secure rooms around the campus as they have prioritised the new students.
Some of the hostels within a 500m radius from the university reserved for freshmen include Pasgat, Westgate, Somoni, Manoti, Townsville and Upperhill hostels.
Moses Beda, a landlord at Pasgat hostel, said in an interview on Wednesday that most hostel owners had preserved a number of bed spaces for new students as a way of partnering with the university.
“We are giving priority to fresh students to get rooms near the vicinity because most of them are new here and may struggle for housing in places they do not understand,” said Beda.
The university in a notice early this month noted that it had only 500-bed spaces for the new students.
With over 3,000 new students expected, they were advised to make prior arrangements of accommodation from nearby hostels.
“Most of the continuing students will be forced to look for housing in places far from the university,” added Beda.