Kenya’s Polytechnic College To Commission Its Own Textile Mill
A textile factory is construction at the Kisumu National Polytechnic in Kenya which will 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. Learners will have hands-on training to prepare them for the job market.
The textile technology factory is funded by the World Bank (WB) through the EAST Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP).
The textile factory which has latest technologies from India and China, targets to develop the regional textile industry through high-quality training, research, innovation, and technology transfer
“Learners will be taken through the process of turning raw cotton into fabrics alongside other value chains in the sector,” Business Today reported.
Kisumu National Polytechnic Principal Catherine Kelonye said construction work has reached 85 percent and the contractor is expected to hand over the facility by the end of this financial year.
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.
“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,” she stated.
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.
Kisumu National Polytechnic Council Chairman Eng. Meshack Kidenda said the factory will be a game changer for the local textiles industry.
“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.
