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The Cabinet has approved the upgrading of five technical training institutes to national polytechnics.
The decision by the meeting, chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi on Thursday, will raise the number of national polytechnics from 23 to 28.
The institutes to be upgraded are Michuki TTI, Mitunguu TTI, Ol' lessos TTI, Nairobi TTI and Friends College of Research and Technology in Kaimosi.
A despatch from State House said the meeting also approved the transfer of Amboseli National Park to the county government of Kajiado.
The meeting also allowed Kenya's signature and ratification of the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
National polytechnics in Kenya are dedicated to providing high-quality education to young Kenyans in almost all fields of study at artisan, certificate, diploma, and higher diploma levels.
They are supplemented by Technical and Vocational Education Training Institutes (TVET) established under TVET Act No. 29 of 2013.
The government is dedicated to ensuring there is at least one national polytechnic in every county and a TVET institution in every constituency.
The national polytechnics in Kenya are under the Ministry of Education Department of Vocational and Technical. They are established under the Kenyan Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act, No. 29 of 2013.
Both polytechnics and technical institutes are under the same department of the Ministry of Education but offer different levels of qualification. While TTI/TVC stops at Diplomas, National Polytechnic can offer a higher diploma.
Councils govern national polytechnics while the TTI uses a Board of Governors (BOG). Regarding admission requirements, they all use the same structure dictated by the ministry.
Another notable difference between the NP and TTI/TVC is the funding from the government. National Poly gets more funds to expand their infrastructure to meet the standard.
