The government has been urged to subsidise fees charged by polytechnics to allow more youths from disadvantaged backgrounds access tertiary education.
Gitiha youth polytechnic director Ann Ikimei says poverty is a challenge hindering youths from joining the polytechnic.
“The government should subsidise the fees,” she said, adding, “This will encourage more youth to come and reduce immorality and theft in the area.”
She urged Gitiha village residents to view polytechnics as centres where youths can nurture or exploit their talents. She said that the centre has six students, four of whom are taking electrical engineering while two are pursuing fashion and design. She said the low student population is killing the instructors’ morale.
Ikimei said the polytechnic, stationed in the village, was meant to help many young people in the area, but few have turned up for training.
“It is demoralising at times when you see young people in Gitiha messed up by drugs and alcoholism. They do not realise that they have talents which go to waste,” Ikimei said.
She called upon the government to build more polytechnic and youth centres in less developed counties like Turkana and most northern sides of Kenya where many young people want to learn but have no facilities.