Nyeri National Polytechnic ODeL centre goes live as TVETA certifies 20 trainers

Kenya’s push to digitize technical education gained fresh momentum on Tuesday when Principal Secretary for the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Dr. Esther Muoria officially operationalized the Nyeri National Polytechnic Open, Distance and e-Learning Centre (ODeL), while awarding certificates to 20 trainers who completed accredited training on ODeL standards.

The certification marks a turning point for the polytechnic, which President William Samoei Ruto had flagged in March 2024 as a flagship site for Kenya’s Digital and Creative Economy under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), alongside the institution’s Jitume ICT Lab.

Dr. Muoria said the roll-out of ODeL was not simply a technological upgrade but a structural shift in how Kenya delivers technical education.

“ODeL supports the Government’s digitalization agenda through the use of Learning Management Systems, virtual classrooms, and digital learning materials,” she stated.

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The 20 certified trainers are among a broader cohort of over 600 TVET instructors drawn from National Polytechnics and Special Needs Technical and Vocational Education and Training (SNTVET) Institutions targeted under a capacity-building programme run by Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning.

Deputy Director for Standards Development Dr. Peris Njoroge, representing the Acting Director General of TVETA, said the authority would sustain quality audits and accreditation of ODeL centres and programmes using standards developed with COL’s support.

Nyeri National Polytechnic is currently running the Cosmetology Level 7 Higher National Diploma through ODeL, with learners building e-portfolios of evidence to demonstrate competencies. The programmes carry both national and international recognition under TVETA accreditation.

By Benedict Aoya

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