The 5th edition of the annual Kirinyaga County Polytechnics festivals were opened with a clarion call for the youth to embrace polytechnic education to avoid the temptation of falling into alcohol and drug abuse and other unwanted vices
The one-day show staged at the Catholic Hall in Kerugoya saw Kaitheri County Polytechnic clinch the coveted first position across all categories, amassing an impressive 684 points followed closely by Kiambatha Vocational Training Center who garnered 661 points.
Through various performances the students also asked the community to facilitate an enabling environment for them to acquire technical skills. This year’s festivals attracted over 2,000 students hailing from the 16 Polytechnics within Kirinyaga County.
Students from the institutions dazzled the audience with their array of performances, ranging from choral and solo verses to original compositions, special renditions, sacred folksongs, cultural dances and Sakata Dance.
The festival, under the theme of “Supporting Talents,” are meant to select team to represent the county at the national stage during an event to be held in Eldoret.
Kirinyaga’s Polytechnics stand as bastions of vocational education, offering a diverse courses ranging from plumbing, carpentry, beauty therapy, hairdressing, carpentry and mechanical & electrical engineering.
According to the County Executive Committee Member of Education (CECM) Veronica Maina who represented the Governor, the event is aimed at not only creating holistic learners in and out of the classroom environment but also providing an avenue for the participants to nurture their talents.
“Through this initiative, our governor aims at identifying, supporting, and elevating the untapped potential in our students,” she said.
She encouraged all students who have not been able to join universities or colleges, even those that have not completed secondary schools to join the polytechnic and gain skills that will help them earn money and create jobs.
“The skills acquired within our Polytechnics are not confined by borders; they open doors to employment opportunities both locally and internationally,” she affirmed.
Mark Kinyua, a plumbing student at Kaitheri Polytechnic extended an invitation for the youth to seize the opportunity to enroll in the Polytechnics.
Ann Wambui, a hairdressing and beauty therapy student who performed a solo verse named “Bodaboda wa Kaboda” acknowledged the instrumental role of the Polytechnics in equipping people with essential skills, thereby steering them away from indulging in social vices such as partying and substance abuse.
“Through nurturing our talents, we have forged a path away from destructive habits towards personal and professional fulfillment,” she said.
By Mutai Kipngetich
