Govt announces plan to train youth as Kenya warms up for Dangote refinery
By Emmanuel Rono, July 14, 2026The government has announced plans to fast-track the training of Kenyan youth in specialised industrial skills, including advanced welding and electric vehicle (EV) mechanics, ahead of the planned Dangote oil refinery construction in Lamu.
Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, said the country must prepare its workforce before major projects take off, citing the oil refinery, shipbuilding and the revival of Kenya’s automotive industry as sectors expected to create thousands of technical jobs.
“Dangote’s planned oil refinery in Lamu will require a new generation of highly specialised welders. The same skills will be needed in shipbuilding and other strategic industries,” Kinyanjui said.
“We must ensure that when these opportunities arise, Kenyan youth are first in line, not watching from the sidelines because they lack the required skills.”
Kenya’s growing automotive industry
The CS noted that Kenya’s growing automotive industry is also creating demand for mechanics with expertise in electric vehicles, describing the positions as well-paying, high-impact jobs that require immediate investment in skills development.
He said the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry has resolved to proactively equip young people with industry-relevant skills instead of waiting until opportunities are lost to foreign workers.
During a visit to the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) in Nairobi, Kinyanjui directed the institution to develop, within 10 days, a training curriculum aligned with Kenya’s industrialisation agenda and President William Ruto’s development priorities.
Beyond advanced welding, the CS said KIRDI has the capacity to train youth in value addition across key sectors including leather, honey, tea and coffee, helping strengthen local manufacturing and agro-processing.
He added that financing from the Kenya Development Corporation (KDC), coupled with partnerships with county governments, could help nurture a new generation of local industrialists capable of establishing factories in County Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones.
“We can nurture a new generation of local industrialists and change the narrative that only foreign investors can establish factories in our County Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones,” he said.
Kinyanjui also challenged KIRDI to collaborate with schools through industrial tours and career talks to expose learners to opportunities in manufacturing, research and innovation from an early age.
“The next time a teacher asks, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I hope many more children will confidently answer, ‘I want to be an industrialist,'” he said.