The County Government of Nyamira has handed over business toolkits to 178 top-performing graduates from Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) in a move aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship, creating employment and strengthening the county’s local economy.
The beneficiaries emerged among the best-performing trainees in the April 2026 National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) examination series, with all 178 graduates attaining distinction grades in their respective courses.
The initiative follows the graduation of 709 trainees who were enrolled under the Nyamira County–KCB Foundation full scholarship programme and completed their vocational training in June 2026.
Speaking during the toolkit handover ceremony at Mwongori Vocational Training Centre, Governor Amos Nyaribo said the programme was part of his administration’s efforts to address youth unemployment by equipping young people with practical, marketable skills and the necessary tools to start businesses.
Nyaribo said the initiative represents a deliberate shift from preparing young people solely to seek employment to empowering them to become job creators.
“We are not only moving from helping the youth secure jobs but also sparking their start-ups. The ripple effect of this strategy is the creation of multiple jobs for others,” the governor said.
He challenged the beneficiaries to approach entrepreneurship with confidence and see themselves as business leaders capable of contributing to Nyamira’s economic transformation.
“Today, we are commissioning 178 Chief Executive Officers into building our economy. We have elevated you to wealth creators and you have no excuse but to succeed,” Nyaribo said.
Governor Amos Nyaribo poses for a group photo with the 178 top-performing VTC graduates after handing over toolkits to support them in starting businesses and creating employment opportunities.
Expanding vocational training
The governor said the county government was committed to expanding access to vocational education while ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent deserving young people from acquiring skills.
Through the collaborative 2Jiajiri Programme, the county has co-invested in the training of 1,100 youth on full scholarships and more than 1,000 others on partial scholarships across 26 Vocational Training Centres.
Under the programme, the county government contributes Sh15,000 towards the fees of every student, enabling more young people to access technical and vocational training.
Nyaribo said investment in vocational training was also being matched with improvements in infrastructure and learning resources.
The county’s VTC infrastructure budget has been increased from Sh40 million to Sh50 million in the current financial year. The additional allocation will support the acquisition of modern instructional materials and the recruitment of additional instructors.
“Poverty must not stop deserving youth from accessing this transformative training opportunity,” the governor said.
Focus on market-driven skills
Nyaribo further urged young people to make informed choices when selecting courses, particularly by considering skills that respond to market demand and can provide opportunities for self-employment.
He called on education sector stakeholders to regularly review vocational courses and align training programmes with the changing needs of the labour market.
“We should put more emphasis on market-driven courses,” he said.
The governor encouraged graduates to use their technical skills to establish enterprises rather than waiting for formal employment opportunities.
He said strengthening entrepreneurship among young people would not only improve individual livelihoods but also create employment opportunities for other residents.
KCB pledges continued partnership
Paul Nyating’a, KCB Nyamira Branch Manager, urged the graduates to embrace partnerships as they establish and grow their businesses.
“I encourage you to build partnerships among yourselves as you build Nyamira,” Nyating’a said.
He said KCB remained committed to working with the county government and other stakeholders to expand opportunities for young people.
Nyating’a added that the bank was exploring opportunities for further collaboration with the county in other sectors, including agriculture.
“We will ask the Governor to partner with us in other sectors like agriculture as we continue with education,” he said.
Graduates ready to create jobs
Edwin Nyangena, a beneficiary from Ekerubo Gietai VTC, thanked the County Government of Nyamira and KCB Foundation for supporting the trainees and providing them with the tools needed to begin their entrepreneurial journey.
Nyangena described the support as a golden opportunity for the graduates to become self-reliant and contribute to the county’s economic growth.
“We will start businesses and employ ourselves as we even contribute to the economic growth of Nyamira,” he said.
The distribution of the toolkits marks the latest step in the county’s efforts to transform vocational training into a pathway for entrepreneurship, employment creation and sustainable economic empowerment among young people.
