- Elgeyo Marakwet County has waived tuition fees for students joining its Vocational Training Centres to increase access to technical education.
- The county is also recruiting 40 instructors to strengthen training capacity and prepare more youth for self-employment.
- Leaders say the initiative will support industrial growth by producing skilled technicians for emerging sectors.
Elgeyo Marakwet County has launched an ambitious plan to expand technical education by waiving tuition fees for all students joining its Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) while recruiting 40 new instructors to strengthen training capacity.
Governor Wisley Rotich announced the initiative during the graduation of 346 students at Iten Youth Polytechnic, saying the programme is designed to equip young people with practical skills needed for self-employment and emerging industries.
Under the arrangement, students will no longer pay tuition fees, leaving accommodation as their only major expense.
“The government, both county and national, cannot absorb all youth seeking jobs, but through vocational training, they can employ themselves,” Governor Rotich told graduates.
He encouraged young people across the county to seize the opportunity by enrolling in vocational institutions rather than waiting for formal employment.
Governor urges digital entrepreneurship
The governor also urged graduates to embrace digital entrepreneurship.
“Each one of you has a smartphone; use it to advertise yourself instead of engaging in ‘tutam’ and ‘wantam’ politics,” he said.
Governor Rotich noted that the county currently operates 18 vocational training centres, with two additional institutions nearing completion as part of plans to establish a VTC in every ward.
County Assembly Majority Leader Aron Cheruiyot said the assembly had allocated Sh2 million to finance the tuition waiver during the current financial year.
“We have made this investment because technical education is becoming increasingly important. I will push for more funding next year and support the hiring of another 40 instructors to accommodate rising student numbers,” Cheruiyot said.
The investment aligns with the county’s broader economic transformation strategy. Although agriculture contributes nearly 80 per cent of economic activity, studies by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) show the sector records low labour productivity, with poverty levels ranging between 43.6 and 57 per cent.
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County leaders are increasingly looking to value addition through County Aggregation and Industrial Parks, which will require technicians, mechanics, builders and agro-processing specialists. The expanded vocational training programme is expected to produce the skilled workforce needed to drive those industries.
By Kimutai Langat
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