The contractor building a Sh1.2 billion textile technology factory at Kisumu National Polytechnic has been directed to vacate the site by Dec. 31, officials said.
Dream Tech Construction is undertaking the project, which is funded by the World Bank through the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP).
The facility, known as the Regional Flagship TVET Institute for Textile Technology (RFTITT), is designed to support the regional cotton industry through specialised units for spinning, weaving and garment production.
National Project Coordinator and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Director Archer Arina said some concerns previously raised about the project had been addressed during implementation.
Arina, who led an EASTRIP monitoring team on a site visit, said timely and accurate project execution was essential to ensure accountability in the use of public resources and compliance with World Bank and National Treasury requirements.
Kisumu National Polytechnic Chief Principal Wycliffe Okumu took the delegation through sections of the facility where improvements, including plastering and other adjustments, had been made.
Okumu said learner safety would be prioritised and that several parts of the new facility would be powered by solar energy.
He said the contractor had also been advised to leave the site by the end of the month. Environmental concerns raised earlier had been considered, he added.
The wider campus development includes a specialised training centre and a 300-bed student hostel with facilities designed to accommodate persons with disabilities.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen instructors’ technical skills, train more than 22 local trainers in machinery and textile technology, and harmonise 204 regional TVET qualifications across Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania to facilitate labour mobility and regional integration.
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