By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 17 December 2025 - Vihiga County has taken a major step toward strengthening vocational education after Governor Wilber Ottichilo assented to the Vihiga County Vocational Training Centres (VTC) Bill, 2025, offering renewed hope for thousands of youth seeking practical skills and employment opportunities.
The legislation, which comes after years of operational challenges in the county’s VTCs, is expected to provide a structured legal and institutional framework for management, funding, and governance, while promoting entrepreneurship and market-relevant training.
Governor Ottichilo described the move as a milestone for socio-economic development, noting that VTCs play a critical role in advancing both county and national curricula.
The assent to the Vihiga VTCs Bill 2025 marks a significant step towards addressing long-standing operational challenges facing VTCs in the county,” he said during the signing on Tuesday.
He highlighted that the Bill ensures adequate funding, capitation, and equipment for learners, while enabling access to bursaries in a well-structured manner. Beyond financial support, the legislation allows the Centres to initiate entrepreneurial ventures, offering pathways to self-employment and income generation for trainees.
The Bill, sponsored as a private legislation by Vihiga County Assembly Deputy Speaker Eric Odei, aims to establish a clear legal and operational framework for the Centres.
Mr Odei emphasised that the Bill provides for the registration of Village Polytechnics, the creation of governance structures, and the formalisation of management organs, ensuring standardisation, quality, and relevance in vocational training.
“The key objectives and purposes of the VTCs Bill 2025 include providing for the establishment and registration of Vocational Training Centres, management structures, governance procedures, and ensuring proper funding for sustainability,” he explained.
Mr Odei further noted that the legislation will bolster practical learning through partnerships and income-generating initiatives, including the adoption of a Learn-and-Earn model. This approach integrates hands-on training with entrepreneurial activity, equipping young people with both occupational skills and business acumen.
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“If you look at the Bill, it is providing for partnerships and adopting the Learn-and-Earn model to support hands-on, income-generating training for trainees,” Mr Odei said, stressing the Bill’s potential to foster innovation, research, and skill acquisition among the youth.
County officials and Assembly members have hailed the legislation as a game-changer for Vihiga’s technical and vocational education sector.
By providing a formal legal structure for admissions, bursaries, and funding, the Bill addresses longstanding challenges that have hampered the operations and expansion of VTCs. Members of the County Assembly commended Deputy Speaker Odei for championing the initiative, noting that it will enhance management efficiency, financial sustainability, and overall quality of training.
The VTC Bill aligns with broader national efforts under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2013, which advocates for practical and market-driven education
By localising the governance and funding framework, Vihiga County is taking proactive measures to ensure that vocational education is accessible, relevant, and sustainable. Governor Ottichilo emphasised that the Bill not only supports skill acquisition but also promotes socio-economic transformation by empowering youth with employable skills and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Overall, the Vihiga County VTC Bill, 2025, represents a strategic effort to modernise vocational education, strengthen institutional frameworks, and enhance youth employment prospects.
By combining governance reforms, structured funding, and innovative learning models, the legislation is set to boost the operational capacity of VTCs, drive entrepreneurship, and ensure that young people in Vihiga County are better prepared to participate in a competitive labor market.
The passage of the Bill signals a clear commitment from county leadership to invest in human capital development as a foundation for sustainable growth.
