Ronald Ngala Utalii College Gets Modern Kitchen to Train Chefs

KILIFI, Kenya, Oct 5 — Ronald Ngala Utalii College (RNUC) in Kilifi County has received an ultra-modern kitchen designed to support students’ training in culinary arts and cater for meals for up to 3,000 diners.

The facility will serve both as a commercial kitchen for the college and a practical training centre for students pursuing chef training and other culinary-related programmes.

Tourism Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, who unveiled the facility, said its installation had taken into account environmental protection, safety and sustainability considerations.

Bitok said the modern kitchen would promote clean cooking while providing students with a safe environment for practical learning.

“We have a kitchen that will promote clean cooking and that is very safe for our students’ learning experiences. We are deliberate about protecting our environment even as we equip the college with the best available equipment,” he said.

The PS said the college was being developed as a specialised training institution offering tourism, hospitality and maritime-related programmes aimed at preparing graduates for both local and international labour markets.

RNUC currently offers programmes in hospitality, housekeeping, front office and culinary arts, with the institution also exploring partnerships to expand maritime and seafaring training.

Bitok said the college was strategically positioned to contribute to Kenya’s blue economy by providing skills required in the maritime and hospitality sectors.

“If you want to study maritime processes, you must study seafaring. That is why this institution has been set up as a premium institution, one of its own kind,” he said.

The college, located in the Vipingo area of Kilifi County, opened its doors last month and has already enrolled about 300 students.

The institution has a capacity to accommodate up to 4,000 students when fully operational.

The government is also exploring collaboration with the Maritime Shipping Company to support maritime and seafaring training at the institution.

The development comes as Kenya seeks to expand technical and vocational training opportunities linked to tourism, hospitality and the blue economy, while equipping young people with skills relevant to the domestic and global labour markets.

President William Ruto is expected to officially open Ronald Ngala Utalii College later this year.

Construction of the institution began 13 years ago before it opened its doors to students in 2026.