Governor Anyang Nyong’o, in a bold move aimed at strengthening vocational and technical training advancements in Kisumu County, has flagged off assorted equipment worth 18 million shillings to 28 Vocational Training Centres within the area.
The assorted items, mainly composed of training materials, will benefit VTCs in Seme, Kisumu East, West, and Central sub-counties.
Nyong’o pointed out the role TVETs play in the socio-economic development of the country as a whole.
The governor, flanked by his deputy, Dr Mathew Owili, and the chief executive committee member in charge of education, John Awiti, as well as the chief officer, Dr Bovince Ochieng, noted that vocational training serves as a stopgap for those who do not pursue higher education for whatever reason.
The donations follow an earlier pledge, in which Nyong’o asserted Kisumu County’s commitment to vocational training as a key pathway for youth empowerment, calling for deeper partnerships and increased investments in skill-based education.
Earlier, speaking during the Kisumu Conference Centres of Vocational Expertise in Action at Akado Vocational Training Centre in Kolwa. The Governor praised the transformation of VTCs into spaces of real impact.
“What I witnessed was not merely an investment in bricks and mortar. But a bold step forward. A symbol of our collective commitment to empowering the youth of Kisumu county with market-ready skills,” said Governor Nyong’o after touring the newly enhanced Akado’s Automotive Engineering workshop, which he officially launched today.
He emphasised that training institutions must prioritise tools and content over appearance.
“This is an institution in the village. It has all the characteristics of a village. Maintain the feel. What matters is what happens inside the classroom. That is what builds dignity and employment, not cabros”
The Governor pledged to support the centre with new facilities such as a dormitory and a multipurpose hall, adding more development for the institution will be considered through the cabinet process, with the Education department taking the lead.
Beyond Akado, he noted that other centres, including Rotary VTC, Ojima College, Sabako VTC, and SMILE Centre, were also delivering impact across Kisumu’s sub-counties.
“These institutions are proving that when we invest in skills, we invest in an assured future of productivity. This and much more is achievable by action through partnerships,” the Governor said.
CECM for Education, Technical Training, Innovation and Social Services, Mr John Awiti, provided updates on how partnerships have accelerated progress across VTCs
“We are showcasing how our centres are aligning with industry needs to ensure our trainees don’t leave with skills that the market doesn’t need”, he said.
Awiti thanked Governor Nyong’o for supporting a sector that caters to a group often left out of higher education: youth who don’t transition to universities or colleges and those without certification, despite possessing skills.
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He reported that the department is currently working with 32 partners, including Pratham International, Comundo, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and Kisumu Basic Education Trust (KBET).
According to Mr Awiti, these partnerships have injected over Ksh 202 million into vocational training activities in the last financial year alone, including the sponsorship of trainers to India and Canada.
Awiti emphasised that all development proposals related to county-owned VTCs must be submitted through official channels to ensure coordinated planning.
“Let’s be very clear on how we do our operations, this facility here belongs to the county government, and if there is any proposal, if there is any advice. It must come through our Governor for you to present the case of Akado elsewhere,” he said.
He added, “We intend to empower our youth so that they can find their place in society where every evening they can put food on the table.”
As the county scales up its investment in technical training, the message in Akado was clear: skills are the future, and partnership is the engine that will get Kisumu there.
Also present during the conference were County Assembly Majority Whip Seth Kanga, Kolwa Central MCA Kelvin Oraro, Chief Officer Education, Technical Training, Innovation and Social Services Bovince Ochieng, Marc Bloch County Director Comundo and a host of representatives from Kisumu county, Pratham International, CICan, KBET, STEEP, Akado, Rotary, and Sabako VTCs as well as Ujima and Smiles Hub.
By Fredrick Odiero
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