President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday, January 28, unveiled a multi-billion shilling investment at the Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).
Reports from the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit (PSCU), indicated that President Kenyatta announced the mixed financial facilitation when he witnessed the handing over of a title deed for the 70 acres of land occupied by KIST to the National Treasury by the institution's board of trustees.
“As you are aware, during my state visit to Germany in 2016, one of the areas that I had asked them to lend support was our TVET agenda, an agenda that I thought was very critical and important.
“As a result of that, they agreed to put some money to support us to develop KIST. However, as a result of that also and given the fact that this was government funding, there was a requirement that the land they are putting their money into is owned by the Kenya government,” the president stated.
PSCU announced that a mixed financial facility of Ksh2 billion was agreed for KIST, Thika Technical Training Institute and Nairobi Institute of Technology during the President’s state visit to Germany in April 2016.
The visit also secured financing to the tune of Ksh3 billion for enterprise creation, and Ksh1.3 billion for the establishment of a centre of excellence in Kenya, as well as Ksh776 million for TVET sponsorship and Ksh332 million for technical cooperation.
The head of state expressed optimism that with the land registration documents having been transferred to the National Treasury, the implementation of the mechatronics project at KIST would be fast-tracked.
He also emphasized his support for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with the insistence that the country's future lies therein.
“The support of such institutions was the dream of our founders. We lost it somewhere when we all came and started believing that the future was in everybody having a degree.
“But the truth of the matter is that the bulk of the jobs that are available for our people is through the use of the talents that they have. That is why we have put a huge emphasis on TVET to give our people the skills needed to satisfy the employment requirements of the 21st Century. This is where we must invest,” he stated.
The president assured of his readiness to work with the management of TVET institutions across the country to ensure that they succeed in their mandate of preparing the youth to be competitive in the global job market.
“We cannot do that without giving them the necessary grounding and equip them with the necessary tools, through education, so that they can actually be the best they can and arm them with the skills that will be required to find gainful employment as we move into the 21st Century,” he added.
