At Lang’ata Technical and Vocational College (TVC), ICT training is moving beyond classrooms and computer labs, with students developing innovations aimed at solving some of Kenya’s everyday challenges.
Among the students making an impact is Elvis Kipkogei, who dreams of a future where Kenya develops homegrown technologies to address local problems.
“At some point we want the technology to come from our own country, to use our own technology that we develop. We want to develop our own solutions, to solve our own problems, using our own technology that we have developed,” Kipkogei says.
His vision is already taking shape through an innovation developed with fellow students at Lang’ata TVC to address motorcycle theft.
Read: The team has developed a prototype that uses geofencing technology to enable users to track boda bodas, providing a potential technological solution to a persistent security challenge affecting motorcycle owners and riders.
The college has also developed a drug-tracking system designed to address challenges in tracing medical supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to hospitals and other recipients.
The innovations have emerged following the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Computer Science as TVET courses, expanding the traditional focus of technical institutions beyond conventional trade skills.
According to ICT tutor Jackline Meiriapi, the college trains ICT technicians at Levels 3, 4, 5 and 6, while Computer Science is offered at Level 6.
Level 3 provides proficiency training, Level 4 leads to an Artisan qualification, Level 5 offers a Craft Certificate, while Level 6 leads to a Diploma.
The practical approach to learning allows students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world situations.
“Those who are passionate about networking always do the networking setup for the Wi-Fi in the institution. Those who are into database security and data security, we teach them how to ensure that the firewalls are working and the normal tracing of the server,” Meiriapi says.
The approach is already yielding results, with Lang’ata TVC ICT students earning recognition in national TVET competitions. The boda boda tracking and drug-tracking innovations are among the students’ award-winning projects.
For student Joyce Osero, the training is providing skills she expects to use to build solutions in the future.
“Since my elementary and high school, I’ve been interested in how computers work. I am getting skills that are going to help me to build whatever I want in future, and I feel awesome for that,” she says.
A modern ICT laboratory has further strengthened practical learning at the college. The facility was upgraded by the M-PESA Foundation and handed over in February 2026.
The developments come as the world marks World Youth Skills Day, observed annually on July 15. The 2026 theme, “Skills for a shared future,” underscores the importance of equipping young people with practical skills for employment, entrepreneurship and decent work.