The late Bishop Luigi Locati
By Gerald Mutethia
Brutally killed Bishop Luigi Locati is a household phrase in Isiolo County after his philanthropic gestures are spreading like bushfire.
Bishop Locati, who was killed in 2005 had established the St Mary Immaculate secretarial College in 1974 as a home and education Centre to save young girls who escaped from early marriages.
Realizing the boy child was also endangered a few years later, nature forced him to establish St Joseph Polytechnic in Isiolo town within the Catholic Diocese of Isiolo church grounds.
After the killing of Bishop Locati, Bishop Antony Ireri Mukobo took the leadership of the Vicariate a position he holds to date.
Bishop Mukobo has now merged the two institutions as he re-branded and named them Bishop Locati Training Institute in honor of his deceased colleague.
Bishop Locati Institute’s Principal Sr Marie Therese poured praises on the late Locati saying he championed education for all by instilling knowledge and skills. It is in his memory and honor that the new institution is carrying his name.
Sr Marie added that Bishop Mukobo is also putting all the efforts to support the institution in efforts to make sure that the young people in Isiolo and other areas have access to quality tertiary education.
The Institution currently offers; Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing, Secretarial Studies, Business Management, Human Resource Management, CPA, Computer packages, Plumbing, Electrical and Electronics, Welding, Tailoring and dressmaking, Carpentry, Masonry, and Driving among other courses targeting the youth.
“We offer evening classes, full-time and part-time courses. Only Education will stop and end the tendency of thievery, criminals, cattle rustling, killings, and early marriages. Education is the transfer of knowledge and family spirit for a peaceful co-existence. Few students here get bursaries from Meru and Isiolo county governments.” Sr. Therese said.
Sr Therese is appealing to the County and national government leaders, NGOs as well as well-wishers to chip in and sponsor students who tarmac in search of tertiary education despite being exemplary brainy.
The principal said they keep track of records and follow up with students who finish and link them with jobs once they appear.
“We have created a good atmosphere for students’ discipline, love, and respect for everyone. We have the most trained teachers and our facilities are spacious. We are the best because we do not waste a single minute of the reporting day. We have enough and relevant decent machines for training and we equip students with market-oriented skills who come back with testimonies,” she said.
She said they have partnered with Safaricom Foundation and AOSK a nuns’ youth initiative to educate some of the students.
They are sometimes forced to keep some of the most vulnerable students in the school who can’t afford to pay their school fees.
Sr Therese said the institution is faced with lots of challenges including negligence by a section of local leaders shying away from giving our students bursaries, lack of adequate water, and expensive foodstuff whereas fees remain the same.
“We struggle to make their lives better because our main aim is not to make money but help society,” she said.
Locati, an Italian, was in charge of the Isiolo diocese and was gunned down while walking to his house with a guard.
