Lodwar, October 23rd, 2025(Public Communication and Media Relations)

Fifteen trainees including seven inmates from Lodwar Prison and eight students from Lodwar Vocational Training Centre have received motorcycle start-up tool kits from the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), marking a major step in youth and inmate empowerment through technical skills.

The initiative, part of DRC’s Resilience, Peace and Stability Programme, is a five-month empowerment drive designed to equip young people with marketable technical skills and new pathways to self-reliance.

Chief Officer for sports and Vocational Training, Robert Loyelei, lauded the initiative and emphasized the need to extend it to all parts of the county, ensuring that even youths in remote areas can access similar opportunities.

He likened the effort to the county’s “Ujuzi Mashinani” model, a grassroots approach that takes vocational training closer to the people through partnerships with other organizations.

“When we decentralize skills training, we open doors to opportunity. From prison workshops to village youth, every young person deserves a second chance,” Loyelei said.

He added that involving inmates in skills programmes is not only a form of rehabilitation, but also a powerful driver of behaviour change and job creation.

Loyelei further encouraged more young women to enroll in technical courses and called for a wider adoption of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certification to validate existing skills and promote inclusivity.

John Ekutan, DRC’s Resilience, Peace and Stability Programme Officer, commended the trainees’ progress and encouraged them to stay focused ahead of the national exams, reaffirming DRC’s commitment to youth empowerment and rehabilitation.

County TVET Director Stephen Eregae, emphasized the need for deeper collaboration with more organizations to scale up TVET opportunities and proposed integrating Community Digital Centres (CDCs) within prisons to expand digital access.

Samuel Komen, Officer in Charge of Rehabilitation at Lodwar GK Prison, applauded Lodwar vocational training centre’s role in transforming inmates through skills development and called for stronger partnerships between correctional facilities and training institutions.

The handover event was also attended by the County TVET Deputy Director Jeremy Loyapan, Lodwar vocational training centre Manager Korobe Chegem, trainers and students drawn from various departments in the institution.