The elevation of Michuki Technical Training Institute to a national polytechnic breathes new life into the once sleepy Karugia town.
Located within Murang’a county, the institution is set to be elevated in May.
Chief principal Anne Mbogo says the elevation will come with good tidings for students and the community.
The institution was started way back in 1956 as a village polytechnic after donation of land by ex-senior chief Michuki.
The institution has continued to grow, from a village polytechnic to a technical high school to a technical training institute and now a national polytechnic after it was gazetted on February 14, 2025.
“The gazettement started way back in the year 2023, when we applied for accreditation and assessment to be elevated as a national polytechnic at TIVET, that is, the Technical Vocational Education and Training Authority, which is the body that is mandated with the responsibility of accrediting the TIVETA institutions,” Mbogo said.
Mbogo said when they were assessed, they were given a clean report that the institution was well-endowed to become a national polytechnic that mentors some of the institutions within the county.
She said the attention that the government has given to TVET institutions is massive and was never seen when she started training 27 years ago.
Mbogo said the institution has since been given a facelift following its elevation to the national polytechnic.
She challenged the youth to take advantage of the state-of-the-art equipment and opportunities that the government has given to them.
“As the Michuki National Polytechnic, we are ensuring that every Kenyan youth has an opportunity to skill and to make a good living, not just with the technical skills but also even with the online jobs. We have Jitume lab that is well equipped by the government, which is facilitating the youth to be able to earn dollars while they are still training. This assists the youth to take care of their upkeep while training and to be able to give back to their parents who are at home.”
The Jitume lab is equipped with 100 computers.
Already, the institute is planning its next graduation, which will be the first following the elevation to a national polytechnic.
Some 1,600 learners are set to graduate on May 9.
Mbogo said the institution has income-generating activities like water refilling, making of yoghurt and ice cream, as well as the production of merchandise.
It also has a driving school, which Mbogo said is meant to train drivers who will help the country bring down road crashes.
The income-generating activities make the institution generate its own revenue.
The institution is, however, struggling, as it only has 7.5 acres of land, and it needs to expand.
Mbogo said the institution, through the board, has collaborated with the county government through the area MP to set up satellite campuses.
Already, the government has promised to provide Sh30 million for that purpose.
One of the satellite campuses will host up to 2,000 engineering learners.
“What does that mean for the people of that community? We shall be replicating another market centre. If you walk around the Michuki National Polytechnic, the market that is adjacent here, people are earning livelihoods from a public-private partnership of the Michuki National Polytechnic with the community in terms of housing of our students, the accommodation facilities, and other amenities like the eateries and other entertainment joints that the students will always require when they are undertaking their studies.”
Mbogo said the courses offered will help address issues even as the country moves towards industrialisation.
Some of the sectors that the institution is positively touching include automotive, tourism, and fashion.
“We are producing our PPEs here for the people that are working in our workshops, the student PPEs through our fashion design industry. We are partnering with EPZ so that we can also be able to train our students for export of local merchandise that we are producing because we basically are training the best. If you look at the area of ICT, we are training students to be system administrators.”
The current student population is 6,4060 but is expected to hit 15,000 in the next two to three years.
Locals say the increase in the population of students will help boost economic activities of Karugia town.
The government has underscored TVET as a pathway to career progression, noting that it is key to spurring industrialisation in Kenya.
The government has been strengthening technical and vocational education to enhance the country’s capacity to offer practical training.
President William Ruto says the objective is to use the power of technical vocational education and training to push the potential of young people to positively contribute to economic growth.
