EASTRIP Project

Principal Secretary for Technical, Vocational Education and Training Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria today hosted Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Hon. Fikirini Jacobs and Principal Secretary for Transport Mr. Mohamed Daghar, CBS, represented by Director of Administration Mr. Ibrahim Abdi, during the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) TVET Marketing and Sensitisation Engagement at The Kenya Coast National Polytechnic. The engagement brought together county commissioners from Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu and Taita Taveta counties to strengthen grassroots mobilisation of young people for skills training, certification and employment. PS Jacobs challenged NGAO officers to intensify community outreach, noting that the expansion of industries across the Coast region presents employment opportunities for young people equipped with relevant skills. Dr. Muoria highlighted modular Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), which enables learners to acquire occupational competencies through shorter training programmes. She also urged NGAO officers to identify individuals with practical experience and facilitate their assessment and certification under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). The State Department is strengthening industry-led training to align skills development with workforce demands, including engagements with Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu to develop customised training programmes. A Memorandum of Understanding with Consolidated Bank of Kenya also provides for customised loan facilities to support young Kenyans seeking legitimate overseas employment opportunities. Dr. Muoria called on NGAO officers to translate the engagement into grassroots action by connecting young people to relevant training, assessment and certification pathways to enhance their access to employment locally and internationally.

The Principal Secretary, State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria, PhD, CBS, has commissioned the Kaare Campus of Muraga Technical and Vocational College in Maara Constituency, marking an important milestone in bringing technical and vocational training closer to the community. The PS expressed appreciation to the Kaare community for providing land for the establishment of the institution, demonstrating the power of community ownership in advancing access to education and skills development. With 71 trainees already enrolled, the Campus has begun providing young people with opportunities to acquire practical skills that can translate into employment, enterprise and improved livelihoods. The PS emphasized that training must have a clear destination — a job, a market, an enterprise opportunity or further progression. The programmes offered at Kaare should therefore respond to the immediate skills and economic needs of the community while equipping trainees with competencies relevant across Kenya and the global labour market. The Campus is expected to strengthen industry linkages, workplace exposure and pathways to opportunity, ensuring that skills acquired translate into tangible impact within Kaare and beyond.