Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has called for a Senate investigation into the management and utilisation of funds allocated to vocational training centres (VTCs) in the county.
He cited stalled infrastructure projects, inadequate facilities and a shortage of instructors that he said have continued to deny young people access to quality technical education and skills development.
Mungatana urged senators sitting in the Senate Committee on Education to investigate the state of vocational training centres in Garsen and Bura constituencies, saying the institutions had failed to realise their intended purpose because of years of neglect and poor implementation of development projects.
“The vocational training centres in Garsen and Bura constituencies were established as pillars of hope for the young men and women of Tana River County. However, these institutions have suffered great neglect and currently face significant challenges that undermine their core mission,” Mungatana told the Senate.
The senator argued that the challenges facing the institutions have denied many young people an opportunity to acquire practical skills needed to secure employment or venture into self-employment, despite significant public investment in the sector.
“There are critical gaps in infrastructure and facilities that prevent these institutions from operating at their full potential. Further, the institutions do not have an adequate number of instructors for effective delivery and implementation of the curriculum,” he said.
Mungatana wants the Senate Committee on Education to establish the current state of infrastructure in all vocational training centres in Garsen and Bura constituencies, including identifying incomplete construction works and determining whether the projects are progressing as planned or have stalled.
“The committee should address the current status of infrastructure in vocational training centres in Garsen and Bura constituencies, including details on any incomplete construction projects and whether the projects are on track or stalled,” he said.
The senator also requested the committee to examine whether the institutions have adequate technical workshops, equipment and learning tools necessary to provide practical training to students.
In addition, he wants the committee to provide a detailed account of the total budgetary allocation for infrastructural improvement and procurement of equipment for vocational training centres during the 2022/2023, 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 financial years.
The inquiry is also expected to provide a breakdown of expenditure for each vocational training centre over the four years to establish how public funds have been utilised.
Mungatana further called on the committee to determine whether the Tana River County Government has a concrete strategy to complete all pending projects and strengthen the institutions.
“The committee should establish whether the County Government of Tana River has a definitive, time-bound plan for the completion of all incomplete projects, procurement of the necessary workshop equipment and recruitment of additional qualified instructors to make the vocational training centres fully functional,” he said.
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