Matungu’s new TVC: A college, new skills and a new start for youth

At the Matungu Technical and Vocational College construction site near Namberekeya, the sound of construction is already part of the local economy.

Joseph Odunga, a Form Four leaver from the area, sees it every day.

Young people are picking up casual jobs at the site, while women are making money preparing food for workers and running small businesses around the growing project.

For Joseph, however, the bigger story is what happens when the construction ends.

The new college could mean that young people from Matungu no longer have to travel far from their families to acquire technical skills.

And that matters in an area where the cost of leaving home for college can itself become a barrier to continuing education.

A college taking shape in Matungu

Matungu Technical and Vocational College is part of a national programme to expand access to technical and vocational education.

The Ministry of Education included the institution among 60 proposed Technical and Vocational Colleges targeted for construction, with the Matungu project comprising a two-storey block containing workshops, classrooms and offices.

For Joseph, the practical side is particularly important.

He expects the institution to offer opportunities in areas such as electrical engineering, catering and shorter technical courses – giving young people different routes depending on their academic qualifications, interests and career plans.

That flexibility is one of the reasons TVET has become an increasingly important part of Kenya’s education system.

Not everyone needs a university degree

Kenya’s numbers tell part of that story.

Of the 962,512 candidates who sat KCSE in 2024, 246,391 attained the university entry grade.

That left 716,121 young people looking at other pathways after secondary school, including technical and vocational training.

The argument for TVET is therefore not simply about creating alternatives for students who do not make it to university.

It is about training people for jobs that require practical skills.

Electricians, plumbers, mechanics, builders, chefs, technicians, ICT specialists and other skilled workers are part of the workforce that keeps an economy running.

Kenya’s labour-market authorities have also been pushing institutions to measure how effectively their graduates transition into employment.

The Graduate Employability Rate framework, introduced in 2026, is intended to measure the proportion of graduates who secure paid or self-employment within 12 months of completing training.

That puts a useful question behind projects such as Matungu TVC:

What happens after the classroom?

Boosting local economy

Joseph’s expectation goes beyond the college gates.

Once students begin arriving, they will need somewhere to live, eat, shop and travel.

Small businesses can emerge around those needs, creating another layer of economic activity.

That is already happening on a smaller scale during construction.

Joseph says young people are earning from work at the site, while women are supplying food and other services to workers.

The pattern is familiar around educational institutions: a college can become an economic anchor for the surrounding community.

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But the longer-term opportunity is skills.

Joseph believes the institution can give young people in Matungu a chance to continue learning, acquire practical skills and compete for employment without necessarily having to leave their home area.

For a young Form Four leaver looking at what comes next, that can make the difference between waiting for an opportunity and acquiring a skill that creates one.

And that is ultimately what Matungu’s new college will have to prove when the classrooms open:

Not simply how impressive the buildings look, but how many young people leave them with skills they can use to earn, build businesses and participate in the economy.