Ronald Ngala Utalii College set to admit first 1,000 students in September

The Ronald Ngala Utalii College in Kilifi county will officially admit its first cohort of 1,000 students on September 1, ending a 12-year wait for the opening of one of Kenya's flagship tourism training institutions.

Tourism Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the government had completed 95 per cent of the work required to operationalise the college and was finalising preparations ahead of the inaugural intake.

"I can confirm that we are 95 per cent ready to welcome the first cohort of 1,000 students on September 1. We have the necessary arrangements in place to make this a reality," Bitok said during an inspection tour of the facility.

The institution, built on a 40-acre parcel of land in Kilifi, will offer diploma and short-term courses in hospitality, catering, housekeeping, seafaring and management, among other tourism-related programmes.

Bitok said the college would gradually expand its facilities to accommodate up to 4,000 students as demand for skilled professionals in the tourism and hospitality sectors continues to grow.

He regretted that despite being designed as an advanced model of the Kenya Utalii College in Nairobi, the institution had taken more than a decade to become operational.

To enhance practical training, the government is considering bringing on board a private investor through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to complete and operate a tourist-class hotel within the college.

The hotel is expected to serve both commercial guests and provide hands-on training opportunities for students.

Bitok said the opening of the college would strengthen Kenya's capacity to produce skilled personnel required by the expanding tourism industry and support the government's target of attracting five million international tourists annually by 2028.

"We are committed to ensuring that we build capacity for tourism and hospitality. The opening will go a long way in ensuring that we meet our target of five million tourists by 2028," he said.

The Principal Secretary said the institution is also expected to create at least 1,000 direct and indirect jobs while stimulating economic activity in Kilifi and the wider Coast region.

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro welcomed the opening, saying it would provide much-needed training opportunities for young people seeking careers in the blue economy, particularly the maritime sector.

"We have had instances where recruitment agencies came looking for seafarers. The last time a team wanted to recruit 600 people, but only 59 qualified because the rest lacked the required certification," Mung'aro said.

The governor said the college would help bridge the skills gap by equipping learners with internationally recognised qualifications needed in the tourism, hospitality and maritime industries.

Bitok and Mung'aro also urged political leaders to exercise caution in their public remarks, warning that irresponsible statements could damage Kenya's tourism reputation.

"We urge leaders to weigh their words when they are talking about tourism because it is a very delicate product. What we have built over 10 years can be destroyed in a single day by a reckless statement," Mung'aro said.