The Ksh1.2 billion textile factory under construction at the Kisumu National Polytechnic is set to be commissioned to develop skills and competencies to drive growth in the sector. Kisumu National Polytechnic is now the only institution in the country with a learning industry.
The textile technology factory is funded by the World Bank (WB) through the EAST Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP) and targets to develop the regional textile industry through the provision of high-quality training, research, innovation, and technology transfer.
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Kisumu National Polytechnic Chief Principal Catherine Kelonye says construction work has reached 85%, and the contractor is expected to hand over the facility by the end of this financial year. Learners will have hands-on training to prepare them for the job market.
Modern equipment sourced from China and India has been received at the institution and will be installed ahead of the commissioning of the facility in July. Ms Kelonye added that the Kisumu National Polytechnic has developed the relevant curriculum, with the institution set to roll out eight textile technology programmes in May this year.
The State Department for TVET has posted trainers for the programmes, which, she noted, would revolutionise the textiles industry. “We are going to have a dual model, where the training will take place in class and at the industry on a 50-50 basis. Kisumu National Polytechnic is the only institution in the country with this model. We are also the only institution that is offering the curriculum and occupational standards under textile technology,” she said.
To scale up the training, Kisumu National Polytechnic has partnered with a number of institutions to roll out the programmes. It has also partnered with Rivatex, Spin-Knit, Thika Mills, and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry to create industry linkages.
She urged parents to take advantage and enrol their children in the course, adding that the training would open a world of opportunities for them. “It is a very good course to take because we have a lot of opportunities locally and abroad. In China and India, where these machines have been sourced, we also have a lot of opportunities,” she said.
Kisumu National Polytechnic Council Chairman Eng. Meshack Kidenda said the factory will be a game changer for the local textiles industry. Learners be taken through the process of turning raw cotton into fabrics alongside other value chains in the sector. “This is a teaching and learning factory. Learners will put theory into practice by having cotton on one end and fabric on the other end,” he said.
Eng. Kidenda urged farmers in the country to take advantage of the initiative and go back to cotton farming. “We are sensitising farmers to go back to cotton farming. We are also working with the county governments and the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) to ensure that we scale up production. The factory we have here will buy part of what they produce and use it,” he said.
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