from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYA has increased its budget for technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges and in the process enlisted the assistance of China in a drive to empower youth with digital skills.
President William Ruto revealed this as he officially opened a digital skills laboratory and commissioned an information and communications technology hub on different events in the central Meru county.
“Technical training is a very important component of a Kenya government strategy to have skills, to have competencies and relevant knowledge for equipping our human capital, the young people of our nation, with skills that can make them contribute meaningfully to the development of our country,” he said.
The president was speaking at the official opening of Karumo Technical Training Institute (TTI) digital skills laboratory.
Also this week, he opened the Tigania East TVET, where he commissioned the Jitume ICT hub. Another Jitume hub was launched at Kiirua.
Jitume is an initiative aimed at providing the youth with access to digital services, skills and opportunities.
Ruto said upskilling the youth was the reason why his government has increased the budget for education by KSh127 billion (US$776,7 million) this year.
“We have enhanced the budget of TVET from KSh5,2 billion ($31,8 million) to KSh10 billion ($61 million) every year.
Government is in the process of hiring some 2 000 tutors for these colleges.
“As I talk to you, our Prime Cabinet Secretary is in China to negotiate another package for 70 of our institutes to get equipment for training,” Ruto revealed.
Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, arrived in China on Wednesday, on a three-day visit.
– CAJ News