Kisumu Poly set to become regional blue economy training hub

CHRIS MAHANDARA-KNA

Kisumu National Polytechnic will serve as a regional centre of excellence in blue economy training through the implementation of the B-STEP initiative.

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 and retooling workers 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, 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,” Dr. Muoria said.

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.