George Muthaa, deputy principal in charge of administration, finance and planning at the university, expressed his gratitude to Chinese embassy staff members and the Confucius Institute. "Turkana is known as the cradle of humankind, so they have come back to the source. We also appreciate the diversity and sharing of culture," he said.

Muthaa said even though the institution does not currently have Chinese programs, the visit by the Chinese ambassador to Kenya in the university last month and Wednesday's visit by the deputy ambassador marked the beginning of the university realizing its dream of opening a Confucius Institute.

'Shaping institution'

"This will enrich our offerings as a university and probably the culture that we want to embrace and shape as an institution of higher learning," he said.

Turkana University College is located along the Lodwar-Kitale road, which was constructed by a Chinese company. Muthaa said the institution has benefited from the road construction and the additional construction of a borehole by the company.