Kisumu National Polytechnic is set to become a regional hub for training and retooling skills in the blue economy sector following the rollout of the Blue Skills for Transformation and Employment Project (B-STEP).
The initiative, under the continental Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA), will see the institution establish a one-of-a-kind Blue Skills Training and Enterprise Centre (B-STEC) to serve Kenya, the Lake Victoria basin and the wider African region.
The facility will comprise an administration block, lecture halls and theatres, a visitors’ centre, an aqua centre, a restaurant and specialised training and production units designed to impart practical skills and support enterprise development in the blue economy value chain.
The project targets training in key areas including aquaculture, marine engineering, welding and fabrication, food processing, leather technology and water engineering, alongside emerging fields such as aquaponics, recirculating aquaculture systems, blue-preneurship and water hyacinth processing.
It will also integrate modern technologies in fish production, value addition and post-harvest handling while promoting innovation in blue remediation and sustainable use of aquatic resources.
Speaking during an evaluation meeting at the institution Monday, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Esther Muoria said the project is central to repositioning training institutions to meet evolving economic demands.
“We are here to evaluate the progress of this initiative because the blue and green spaces are now the defining training pathways,” said Dr. Muoria.
The PS said the government is deliberately shifting from traditional training models to programmes aligned with emerging sectors, noting that Kisumu’s location on Lake Victoria places it at the heart of blue economy development for the region.
“We want to train and retrain our students in the blue economy space because as we move further into this sector, the training must be relevant,” she said.
“This is not just about training for Kisumu or Kenya. We are developing a centre that can serve the region and Africa by offering relevant, modern skills in the blue economy,” she added.
The PS said the project will also equip trainees with skills to tackle environmental challenges such as water hyacinth, including converting it into commercially viable products.
Beyond training, Dr. Muoria said the initiative adopts a learning factory model that integrates training, production and entrepreneurship, enabling institutions to generate income while equipping learners with hands-on skills.
“As we train, we are also going into production and entrepreneurship so that our institutions can sustain themselves and support industry,” she said.
The project, valued at €3.36 million (approximately Sh. 560 million), is funded through a €3 million grant (about Sh. 500 million) from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development with additional counterpart funding of €362,500 (about Sh. 60 million) from the Kisumu National Polytechnic.
Initially scheduled to end in December 2025, it has been extended to May 2028 following delays in approvals, with an implementation period of 30 months.
So far, more than 60 curricula have been developed and validated, with over 600 trainees enrolled across six intake cycles since 2024.
The polytechnic has also partnered with industry players, research institutions and fisheries agencies to ensure training is aligned with labour market needs across the region.
Once complete, the hub is expected to create over 2,000 employment opportunities across eco-aquaculture, blue remediation and blue entrepreneurship, while positioning Kisumu as a centre of excellence for blue economy skills development in Africa.
By Chris Mahandara
