Nyeri: Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga is advocating for the expansion of the Tetu Technical and Vocational Educational Training Centre to accommodate the growing number of learners. The institution is currently struggling to provide adequate learning space, with some students having to take classes in unconventional settings such as tents and corridors due to the overcrowding.
According to Kenya News Agency, the senator’s visit to the centre revealed that the number of learners has surged from an initial 100 to 1,600, stretching the institution’s capacity. Despite this challenge, Senator Wamatinga expressed gratitude for President Dr. William Ruto’s commitment to constructing six new classrooms at the centre, which he believes will significantly alleviate the space issue. ‘It’s imperative that we provide a safe and conducive space for our youth to thrive,’ Wamatinga stated.
Mount Kenya West Regional Director for Technical and Vocational Educational Training Centre, Charles Nyota, acknowledged the issue and linked it to the new modular program directive. This program shortens the time learners spend in class to three months, increasing the number of graduates ready for industrial attachment. Nyota emphasized that to meet the government’s goal of training at least 2 million young people annually in technical and vocational courses, each centre must admit a minimum of 6,000 learners per year. ‘We are glad when we see more learners joining our TVET centres since this ensures we have more competent personnel to offer technical skills whenever called upon,’ he added.
Nyeri County is home to 49 youth polytechnics and three public TVET institutions, including Nyeri National Polytechnic and two technical institutes, Mathenge and Mukurwe-ini. The introduction of the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) system has been a significant step towards aligning education with job market needs. The modular system breaks training into skill-specific units, allowing learners to gain job-relevant competencies gradually, with a focus on hands-on training. This shift follows a government directive in September 2023 for all TVET institutions to adopt the flexible, real-world applicable learner-centred system.
In addition to his efforts to expand learning spaces, Senator Wamatinga continues to implement the Uji Wa Afya nutritional program to enhance schoolchildren’s health in the county. Set to expand next term, the program aims to improve nutrition and learning in schools such as Chania, Kirimara, and Mairwe primary schools. The initiative, in its third year, was launched on October 18, 2022, and encourages leaders to support schoolchildren in drought-affected areas by providing relief food.