Kaitheri County Polytechnic in Kirinyaga County has admitted the students sponsored by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) for various technical and vocational training courses.
The sponsorship is part of the upcoming Kenol-Marua dual carriage road project’s training component which entails supporting the youth residing along the project road.
Kirinyaga County was allocated 127 slots with 46 trainees being admitted at Kaitheri County Polytechnic and 81 at Sagana Technical Institute.
The beneficiaries were identified through a vetting process that gave priority to the most needy cases.
Governor Anne Waiguru has welcomed the technical support noting that it will complement the county government’s effort in youth empowerment through quality and inclusive technical and vocational education training.
She said Kaitheri, being the largest public polytechnic in the county, was well equipped to cater for the needs of the students under the programme.
The governor said that the training will enable the youth to secure gainful employment as well as build their economic capabilities through self-employment.
“My administration has invested heavily in upgrading and equipping of polytechnics whereby in the last three years we have built additional classrooms, workshops, computer laboratories and dormitories in various polytechnics,” Waiguru said.
Speaking during an induction event held at Kaitheri polytechnic on Saturday, the County Executive Committee Member for Education, James Kinyua, said that the students under KeNHA scholarship will have their accommodation and tuition fees fully catered for.
Kinyua urged the beneficiaries to work hard and ensure that they utilise their time well so that they graduate as skilled artisans and craftsmen who will ultimately be self-employed.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) that defines the terms of engagement between KeNHA and Kaitheri County Polytechnic was also signed.
Kinyua noted that while KeNHA was only sponsoring Grade 111 courses, trainees who would later like to advance to a higher grade have a chance of benefiting from tuition fees grant programme which is a partnership between the National and the County Governments.
Some of the courses offered under the KeNHA scholarship include Motor Vehicle Mechanics, Electrical Installation, Welding, and Construction.
The construction of the 84-kilometer Kenol-Sagana-Marua dual carriage, which is part of the Great North Road, has already commenced.
The road connects the port of Mombasa to Addis Ababa through Nairobi-Isiolo and Moyale. It passes through Kirinyaga County along Makutano, Sagana, and Kibingoti trading centres.
by Irungu Mwangi
