The government is set to put up a Ksh2 billion Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TIVET) institute at Kilimambogo village in Thika East, Kiambu County.
This comes as the State is intensifying strengthening of vocational training institutes to reposition the sector as a key player in economic development.
Thika town Member of Parliament (MP) Alice Ng’ang’a divulged that the tertiary institution will be fully funded by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and its construction will commence in a few months’ time.
The institution will be put up on part of 100 acres of uncultivated land that was ceded by the multi-national fruit juice maker, Del Monte Kenya Limited, to the government for construction of a college.
The lawmaker noted that with such an institution in Thika East, the youth will be able to acquire key artisan skills that will immediately propel them into employment in the fields of plumbing, electrical and electronics among others.
Ng’ang’a spoke on Wednesday while disbursing Ksh 40 million worth of bursary cheques to beneficiaries from Gatuanyaga and Ngoliba wards.
“We now have NSSF on board who are ready to fund the project to the tune of Ksh2 billion. It will begin immediately when the land is available and I have already sent the area Deputy County Commissioner to talk to the management of Del Monte,” she said.
The MP noted that the project will attract more development in the region adding that it will go a long way in increasing the value of land in the area.
Plans to construct the project in the area were welcomed by locals who decried that their children had been moving very far from home for training.
Others, the impoverished parents said, have remained home without skills after they failed to raise the amount to retain them in school and cater for their accommodation.
Led by Rachael Wanjiku and Agnes Mutisya, the parents noted that the college will put Kilimambogo on the map as it will attract learners from various parts of the country.
“Personally, I did not go to college and I believe it will accommodate even those who were not lucky to further their education. My daughters were employed as house helps as I could not take them to college but with such an institution nearby, they will easily undertake a course that will scale them to new heights,” Mutisya said.
While lauding the bursaries given to their children to continue with education at a time that most of them are struggling financially owing to high cost of living, the parents urged Del Monte to collaborate with the government to fast-track the construction process.
Meanwhile, MP Ng’ang’a sustained calls for equity in distribution of education funds to learners across the country.
The legislator insisted that bursary funds must be equalized among all learners for fairness, decrying that while some students have been getting full scholarships, others do not get a coin despite being from humble backgrounds.
“It is sad that some students in North Eastern are getting full scholarships and even receive extra items such as boxes while others elsewhere miss the fund,” regretted the MP.
“What I’m giving out today is a drop in the ocean and my position is, let us also factor in the number of the people in a particular area. Population should be considered because at the end of the day, all students are equal. Let us not marginalize others. It’s sad that some are lacking while others are receiving full amounts.” She said.
By Kamau Njoroge
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