GOVERNOR MEETS COUNTY POLYTECHNICS LEADERSHIP

Governor Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya today hosted all Kakamega County polytechnics’ Board of Management (BOM) Chairmen, Principals and Sub Counties’ youths training officers from the entire county to chat the institutions’ way forward.

The meeting marked the Governor’s first formal engagement with education stakeholders after his re-election for a second term. Governor Oparanya pointed out that polytechnic education came up to equip those students who fail to attain the cut off qualification to join universities or colleges hence proper structures needed to be laid down to ensure better implementation and improved performance by the polytechnics.

He challenged the polytechnic leadership to ensure the institutions are self sufficient so as to cater for programs like lunch among the students. “Impacting skills to the youths of Kakamega will empower our people to be economically reliable through programmes such as crop farming, horticulture and mechanical engineering among others,” he said. The Governor also observed that residents need to be taught and sensitized about county government programmes for inclusivity and encouraged the principals to monitor progress of the students once out of their institutions.

The Governor noted that the caputation program introduced by the county government was aimed at attracting students to seek other alternative forms of education. He called on the Principals and BOM Chairmen to ensure their institutions have adequate land for expansion. In 2013, the institutions then referred to as village polytechnics, had an approximate enrolment of 2000 students but currently the student enrolment lies at over 7000.

Present was the CECM Education, Science and Technology Ebby Kavai, County Secretary Dr. Beatrice Sabana and Chief Officer Mr. Stanley Maindi.