Counties told to establish own polytechnics

County governments have been challenged to establish own polytechnics unique to the needs of locals in a bid to boost their levels of development.

Speaking during a forum with county education officials in Mombasa at Serena Beach hotel, Senators also urged the counties to get involved in policy formulation with the national government.

Senators have advised Counties to establish their own polytechnics and structure them in line with the natural resources they are rich in to promote employment and boost their own development.

“Focus on establishing institutes that are unique with the resources in your area,” said senate education committee chairperson Daniel Karaba.

Turkana County, Mr Karaba said, with discovery of oil, could tap into the sector by providing education related to the activity and tweak it to add value and in the process offer job opportunities to locals and non-locals.

He said coastal counties can centre their education on tourism, manufacturing, engineering and even fishing among others.

“If we do not reform our technical training institutes, our education reforms will be put to waste and we will produce very many students who are not skilled in any training and unemployed,” Mr Karaba who is also Kirinyaga senator said.

TIVET Chairman Charles Ondiek said that developed countries have grown because of embracing and supporting skilled training and innovation.

“Countries like South Korea value what we call ‘Jua Kali’ here and innovations and that is why they have developed rapidly. Mobile phones originate from them,” Prof Ondiek said.

Participants at the meeting discussed various education reforms they can establish in polytechnics and technical training institutes which are based in the counties.

They also discussed various Bills touching on technical training institutes and how they can harmonize them to have a clear curriculum.

Chairperson of counties education executives Beryl Mutekhele said that education was partially devolved and it is important that counties are involved in the legislation that the ministry develops since they are implementers.

Ms Mutekhele who is also the Bungoma county executive for education added that they will work together and come up with a legislation that will govern vocational training.

“Skilled training is very important to us as county governments because it is one area which holds the key to economic empowerment and we believe if we have proper legislation which will guide us, then unemployment will not be an issue,” she said.

The Senate and county executives agreed to come up with a revised Bill on technical training institutes which should be able to include the establishment of a number of institutes in every constituency in each county.