Emphasis on ‘white collar education’ is not good for our economy

Charles Akach joined Kabete National Polytechnic in September 2016, the same year the institution was elevated from a technical training institute to a fully-fledged national polytechnic. His stay at the institution as principal has seen student enrolment rise from 1,650 in January this year to 5,600 today. Prior to being posted to Kabete, he was the principal of Siaya Institute of Technology and a deputy principal of Kisumu Polytechnic. He is an accountant and academician.

How far has Kabete National Polytechnic come?

Kabete National Polytechnic is the oldest technical college in Kenya. The late President Jomo Kenyatta studied meter reading and plumbing at the institution. It once served as a Native Industry Training Depot, a recruiting barrack for soldiers, a primary school, a secondary school and a technical training Institute. Last year, it was elevated to a national polytechnic through a Polytechnic Order. And now with a council, it means that the institution can operate like a university.

What has been the secret behind the recent huge student enrolment?

I think my public relations skills have helped in popularising the institution.

What are some of the popular programmes offered at the institution?

We concentrate on technical programmes. We offer a variety of courses in science, technology and engineering. One of our most popular science course is Medical Laboratory Technology. In last year’s examinations, we were the best nationally. We also offer Pharmaceutical Engineering, both at craft and diploma levels, and Oil Exploration. In engineering, we offer diploma in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Building Technology and many others. In technology, some of our popular courses are ICT and Computer Studies, both at diploma level.

How do you monitor the progress of people who graduate from the institution?

We have a database of the absorption of our graduates by the industry. The indication is that our students are in high demand out there because we offer more hands-on training in all our programmes and we are always in touch with the industry to keep abreast of the ever-changing demands. We always communicate with the industry when we send our students on industrial attachment to monitor their progress.

Some say the root cause of joblessness in Kenya is lack of technical education and skills...

That is entirely true. Technical institutions have been unfairly associated with examination failures. Many people do not understand the role that TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) plays in the economy of this nation. You might be aware that shortly after independence, the economy of Kenya was at par with that of South Korea. There are even instances that Kenya, under the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, donated money to South Korea. Towards the end of the 1960s, South Koreans decided to adopt the idea of technical education in the areas of science, engineering and technology. On the other hand, Kenya put emphasis on white collar system of education. Consequently, we have had a group of people referred to as the educated-unemployed, who have certificates that are not relevant to the requirements of the industry. They are so many out there but cannot be absorbed anywhere since they lack the relevant industry skills.

Who does the institution target?

We have graduates from our universities who have become educated-unemployed job-searching for long. They come here and pursue diploma programmes in more relevant fields. We also have options for Form 4 leavers who fail to meet university admission cut-off. University graduates in relevant fields such as electrical and electronics engineering come here to pursue higher diplomas. This increases their chances of employment. About 60 per cent of what we do here is hands-on.

National polytechnics were allowed to offer degree programmes when they were elevated from technical training institutes. Do you offer any degree programmes?

Our institution came into being as a result of a Polytechnic Order that gave us the leeway to start our own degree programmes, train, examine and award certificates. The order also allows us to collaborate with other universities and examination bodies all over the world to provide degree programmes and award certificates.

There are 10 national polytechnics in the country. Do you think they are enough?

They are not enough, but the government plans to have one national polytechnic in every county. At the moment, the government is establishing one technical training institute in every constituency.

Any challenges facing Kabete National Polytechnics?

The biggest challenge is the attitude of Kenyans. In Kenya, there is the perception that one is not educated unless they have gone to university. That if you have gone to a technical college, then you are not yet there. This is the attitude that the government is trying to change, though we know it may take some time. What we are telling Kenyans now is that there are certain courses which don’t have to be studied at the university. In fact, research shows that technical college graduates have more employment opportunities than any other. The other challenge is lack of infrastructure. There has been additional 4,000 students at Kabete this year. They are using facilities that were meant for a technical training college. We have partnered with a bank to put up a hostel in the institution. The hostel will have a capacity to accommodate 1,000 students.

How has the government helped?

The government has assisted us through partnerships with other countries. At the moment, we are expecting important equipment worth Sh400 million for mechanical training. The smart classroom at the institution is from the Netherlands. The government has pledged to put up tuition blocks at the institution.