1. Purpose and Application

This policy governs residence in the hostels of the Divine Theological Training Institute (DTTI) at its Vihiga Main, Mbale, Chavakali, Kaimosi, Kisumu and Kakamega branches. It applies to every resident student, to their guests, and to the hostel wardens, matrons and catering staff who serve them. Because DTTI is a church-sponsored institute under the African Divine Church, hostel life is treated as part of formation: residents live in a community shaped by Christian character, order, mutual respect and personal responsibility. Admission to residence is a privilege that continues only while a student observes this policy.

2. Allocation, Occupancy and Fees

Rooms are allocated by the hostel warden through the Registrar's office, with priority given to students living far from their branch and to final-year students on attachment. Before taking up residence, every student pays the term's accommodation and catering fees in Kenyan Shillings and a refundable damage deposit of between KES 2,000 and KES 5,000 according to branch and room type. Students must occupy only the room allocated to them; swapping rooms requires the warden's written permission. Sub-letting, hosting unofficial lodgers or keeping another person's property in one's room is prohibited.

3. Safety and Security

Hostel gates close at 10:00 pm; this nightly curfew means that no resident may enter or leave the compound after 10:00 pm except for a documented medical emergency escorted by the warden or matron on duty. All residents must sign in and out at the gate, and roll calls are taken nightly by the warden. Security guards are deployed at every residence, and any stranger seen within the compound must be reported immediately. Fire extinguishers and evacuation plans are displayed in each block, and residents must take part in the fire drill held each term. Tampering with door locks, grills, CCTV cameras or extinguishers is a serious offence.

4. Conduct, Respect and Community Life

DTTI hostels are mixed-gender residences, and this requires firm boundaries. Male and female students are housed in separate blocks or on separate floors with independent access, and no student may enter a block, corridor or room designated for the opposite sex at any time, for any reason. Romantic or sexual activity within the hostel compound is strictly prohibited and constitutes a dismissible offence. Residents must treat wardens, matrons, caterers, guards and fellow students with courtesy, and must resolve disagreements peacefully through the hostel council or the warden rather than by insult, threat or violence.

5. Visitors

Visitors are welcome only during published visiting hours, normally Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays after the chapel service. Every visitor must sign in at the warden's office, state the resident being visited and remain in the designated common areas; visitors may not enter hostel rooms or the blocks of the opposite sex. Day visitors must leave the compound by 6:00 pm, and overnight visitors may not be hosted in students' rooms under any circumstances. Parents and guardians visiting on academic business are received at the Registrar's office, not in the hostels.

6. Property, Cleanliness, Catering and Quiet Hours

Residents are jointly responsible for the cleanliness of rooms, corridors, washrooms and compounds, and each room is inspected weekly. Meals are served in the dining hall at posted times, and residents must observe table manners, queue orderliness and gratitude to catering staff; wasting food is discouraged as a matter of Christian stewardship. Quiet hours run from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am, during which noise from music, conversations and electronics must not be heard outside a room. Examination-week quiet hours are extended to cover the whole afternoon study period. Any damage to institute property is charged against the offender's damage deposit, with repairs beyond the deposit invoiced to the student.

7. Health, Illness and Medical Emergencies

Students with chronic conditions must record them confidentially with the warden and the Registrar at admission. Sick students report to the warden, who maintains the hostel first-aid kit and refers cases to the nearest health facility; at Vihiga Main this is the Vihiga County Referral Hospital. In an emergency the warden arranges immediate transport and treatment and informs the student's next of kin and the Deputy Principal (Administration). Medical bills are the responsibility of the student or parent, and residents are encouraged to remain registered under the SHIF scheme.

8. Discipline Procedure and Appeals

Hostel offences are handled progressively: a verbal caution by the warden, a written warning recorded in the hostel file, hostel probation, and finally referral to the hostel disciplinary committee chaired by the Dean of Students. Serious offences, including breach of the mixed-gender block rules, violence, theft, drunkenness or drug use, are referred directly to the committee, which may exclude a student from residence. A student excluded from residence may appeal in writing to the Deputy Principal (Administration) within seven days, and thereafter to the Chief Principal, whose decision is final.

9. Checkout and Departure

At the end of every term and on permanent departure, each resident must complete a checkout clearance covering the room inventory, catering account, library books and hostel property. The warden inspects the room against the inventory signed at admission, and the damage deposit is refunded within thirty days of checkout, less the documented cost of any damage or loss. Property abandoned after checkout is disposed of after one term.

10. Amendments

The Chief Principal, on the recommendation of the Dean of Students, may amend this policy from time to time. Amendments are communicated through hostel notice boards and branch assemblies and take effect at the start of the following term unless urgent safety concerns require immediate action.