Canada to pump extra Sh2 billion in blue economy programme

The Canadian government is expected to pump an additional Sh2 billion in to the Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Programme at the Coast National Polytechnic in Mombasa.

KBEST is a seven-year programme expected to support economic diversification in Kenya.

The project was launched in November last year with the Canadian government pumping in Sh1.8 billion.

The programme is a bilateral project funded by the Kenyan government in partnership with the Canadian government.

The cabinet secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua said that Canada has pledged additional funding into the programme.

“This is the essence of having such international partners as friends, I will soon go to Canada later this year to sit down with my counterpart to agree on the number of jobs Kenyans will get so that students studying here can apply for jobs in Canada,” Mutua said.

“They already pumped in Sh1.8 billion and are again ready to put in Sh2 billion in to the programme, I will lure them to make it five billion,” he added.

Mutua was speaking in Mombasa after touring the project on Friday.

The 25 million dollar project is being funded by investment from the Global Affairs Canada and is being implemented by the Colleges and Institutes Canada CICan.

The project is expected to use CICan’s Education for Partnership approach to connect technical and vocational training institutions in Kenya with Canadian colleges and institutes.

This is in turn expected to support Kenyan institutions in delivering skills training programmes that meet international standards and addresses the needs of the blue economy.

“TVET is at the heart of our president and he has made assurance that the government will strengthen TVET institutions across the country,” Mutua said.

He also announced that students trained under the programme, will be assisted by the government through his ministry to secure jobs in Canada and other western countries.

“We need to start growing the diaspora job market for our youth and women because if they are employed, then they will be able to add on to the diaspora remittances which will significantly contribute to our GDP and economy,” Mutua said.

He was accompanied by the Canadian deputy ambassador to Kenya Warren Mucci.

Mucci said that his country believes in the need to succeed together that is why they were investing heavily in the program.

He said that Kenya and Canada are strong partners and as such the need to help Kenya grow the sector.

“Kenya needs educated and trained employees, so do we in Canada. That is why we want to build this partnership together so that we can all succeed,” he said.