Kisumu National Polytechnic is set to operationalise its KSh1.2 billion textile factory in January next year, with the contractor expected to finish remaining works by the end of this month, ahead of the overall project deadline in December 2026.

The factory, financed by the World Bank through the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), will combine production, training and research in a single complex that can handle the full cotton-to-garment chain, from spinning to weaving to garment making.

The site also houses training workshops, research and innovation laboratories, technology-transfer centres and a hostel for students.

Chief Principal Wycliffe Okumu said the polytechnic is preparing a detailed implementation plan to run the units as an integrated industrial and training ecosystem. He stated, “We want to fully operationalize the value chain by coming up with a detailed implementation plan,” and added, “Students will gain practical experience by learning inside a working factory, securing raw material is now the immediate priority.”

Okumu explained that the institution is consulting cotton farmers, political leaders and members of county assemblies across Nyanza and Western to secure a reliable supply of seed cotton for the spinning stage.

The polytechnic has signed 26 memoranda of understanding with companies such as Rivatex East Africa, Thika Cotton Mills and Ethiopia’s Kombolcha Textile Share Company, agreements that will support staff training, technology transfer and learner skill development.

Okumu also said the facilities will be opened to other TVET institutions through capacity-building programmes for staff and access schemes for students, aiming to make Kisumu a regional hub for textile technology.

To keep the factory running after donor funding ends, the polytechnic plans to incubate micro, small and medium enterprises around the plant to add value, create jobs and generate revenue.

Power supply and waste management are identified as major challenges. While parts of the plant will use solar power, heavy industrial equipment will need additional energy, Okumu noted, and the institution is looking at an off-grid solution to reduce dependence on costly grid electricity.

A design for an effluent treatment plant to manage liquid waste has been prepared by the polytechnic’s building and construction department but awaits approval from the National Environment Management Authority.

Council Chairman Judah Ochieng said a clear framework for production, maintenance and management must now be drafted. He remarked, “We have had challenges with construction, supervision and procurement of contractors. These challenges delayed operationalisation. The big question now is how we will run this factory?” and added, “From January, the challenge is what we are producing. We must put pen to paper on how we will run and maintain the facility.”

EASTRIP National Coordinator and TVET Director Archer Arina, who led the inspection on Monday, said that issues raised in earlier assessments have been resolved, clearing the way for the project’s operationalisation.

Okumu said the 60-year-old institution has the technical capacity to implement the project and to refurbish its ageing infrastructure, and that the plant will also serve as a research project.