Ruto: No more upgrading of tech centres to varsities

PHOTO | DPPS Deputy President William Ruto is shown a micro-processor machine during his tour of the Technology Development Centre on July 17, 2013.  DPPS

By PONCIANO ODONGO odieny@gmail.com
Posted  Saturday, July 20  2013 at  18:10

The government will invest heavily in middle-level technology institutions to grow the skilled labour force in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday after touring the South Korean-funded Technology Development Centre in Athi River that is run by the Ministry of Labour, Deputy President William Ruto said the government is determined to institute far-reaching changes in the education and industrial sectors in a bid to increase the number of skilled professionals.

“It is a fact that today in Kenya the missing link in our development paradigm are the skills and competencies that are obtained in middle-level colleges. We want to make sure that our youths are well equipped with relevant skills, competencies, knowledge and expertise by investing more in institutes that offer hands-on training,” he said.

The Deputy President regretted that economic growth was being hampered by the lack of a trained and skilled labour force hence the government’s determination to fund and equip institutions to enable youths to contribute to the country’s growth.

He said the government will no longer convert technology institutes to universities.

Instead, he said the government will build 290 institutes in all the constituencies in the next five years to replicate the technology centre in Athi River to help achieve double-digit growth and expedite the realisation of Vision 2030 goals.

“We will work with our development partners to ensure that the institutes are built.”

The South Korean Government has funded the ultra-modern centre in Athi River to the tune of Sh2 billion.

It will provide practical industrial courses in electronics, electricity, mechanics and telecommunications.

In the last budget, Mr Ruto said the government had allocated funds to develop the basic infrastructure of at least nine institutes.

Accompanied by Cabinet secretaries Kazungu Kambi (Labour), Prof Jacob Kaimenyi (Education) and the  Kajiado County Governor, Mr Ruto said the government would take measures to avoid the duplication of courses offered in the institutes run under the ministry of Labour and those under the ministry of Education.