By Matilda Atieno
In a direct move to tackle youth unemployment through practical skills development, the County Government of Kisumu has concluded an intensive 5-day Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop on entrepreneurship. Running from June 22 to June 26, 2026, the high-profile training was hosted at Akado Vocational Training Center (VTC). The session brought together sixteen specialized trainers from both public and private vocational institutes across Kisumu County. This diverse participation reflects a unified countywide push to elevate technical instruction and empower young trainees to become self-reliant business creators rather than mere job seekers.
The standard approach to business education has long faced criticism for focusing too heavily on abstract concepts, leaving graduates poorly equipped for real-world market dynamics. Recognizing this gap, this comprehensive workshop completely prioritized practical operational mastery over rigid theory. Over the 5 days, the participating instructors actively delved into critical modules designed to reshape the way entrepreneurship is taught. The exhaustive curriculum covered vital corporate building blocks, including enterprise club set-up, production unit planning, business record keeping, costing and pricing, and customer care. Furthermore, trainers engaged in sales and pitching, product development, market engagement, interactive facilitation practice, and systematic VTC actor planning. This practical approach ensures that when trainers return to their respective classrooms, they can deliver a dynamic training model directly tied to active income generation.
This milestone program was organized in a close technical partnership with Comundo, a Swiss development organization committed to strengthening the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector. The training sessions were expertly facilitated by Mr. Yao Sodjadan, the Comundo Technical Advisor in Entrepreneurship, who brought rich international insights to the local context. Under the broader umbrella of the Center of Vocational Expertise (COVEX) project, Comundo is working hand-in-hand with the county administration to transform ordinary VTCs into highly innovative administrative hubs where students can seamlessly evolve from raw trainees into commercial experts.
Sabako VTC stands as a living testimony to the tangible success of this program. Having participated in the previous training cohort, Sabako successfully implemented the model on its campus, establishing a thriving production unit that now manufactures and sells high-quality motorcycle brakes directly to the local market. By pairing specialized automotive engineering capacities at Akado with these proven aquaculture, plumbing, and manufacturing tracks at Sabako, the initiative ensures that technical skills are immediately amplified by sharp business acumen.
A central focus of the training was the strategic rollout of student-led Enterprise Clubs within the vocational institutions. According to Martin Owino, the Center Manager of Akado VTC, these clubs will function as live business entities right on campus, allowing students to experience the authentic lifecycle of a business venture. By running these on-site production units, students will generate real revenue that can be systematically ploughed back into campus expansions while simultaneously providing immediate, sustainable livelihoods for the trainees. This dual-training approach bridges the gap between coursework and external industrial realities, serving as an essential transition stage that thoroughly prepares students for competitive market entry long before their formal graduation.
The workshop also highlighted the potential of internal institutional projects, such as the upcoming commercial cafeteria planned at Sianda VTC, which will serve as a live production lab for students. Having completed this intensive capacity-building program, the graduated trainers are now officially certified and expected to lead the entrepreneurship transformation within their respective institutions. Acting as vital multiplier forces across Kisumu County, these instructors will pass on these vital skills to other teachers and hundreds of young trainees. Through this sustained investment in human resource excellence, the County employment sector and its development partners are building a highly responsive, productive workforce, ensuring that local devolution is powered by genuine economic self-reliance.
