Est. 1924 · Nairobi · TVET

Skills you can build a future on.

Kabete National Polytechnic trains Kenya's engineers, technicians, makers and professionals — hands-on, from artisan to diploma.

Explore programmes → Download brochure ↓

A polytechnic, not a lecture hall

You learn it by making it.

Competency-based training on real machines, real materials and real projects, in fully equipped workshops and labs.

See our departments → Download brochure ↓

Since 1924

A century of making.

From the Native Industry Training Depot of 1924 to an ISO-certified national polytechnic exporting engineering parts internationally.

Our story → Download brochure ↓

Next intake

September 2026 Reporting 01 Sep 2026 applications open

A century of making

Kenya's craft, engineered since 1924.

From the Native Industry Training Depot of 1924 to an ISO‑certified national polytechnic, Kabete has spent a hundred years teaching people to build, fix and make.

1924

Founded

58+

Programmes

Departments

Artisan → Diploma

FIRST IN KENYA

The first TVET institution in Kenya to export engineering spare parts internationally, following its win at the Africa Tech Challenge.

Mark the date

Upcoming events.

All events →

Sep 2026

September 2026 Intake Orientation

08:00 → 03 Sep, 16:00 Main Campus, Lower Kabete

Orientation and reporting for all newly admitted trainees, including registration, campus tours and departmental briefings.

Oct 2026

Annual Cultural Week

09:00 → 16 Oct, 17:00 Main Campus Grounds

A week of music, dance, food and exhibitions celebrating the cultural diversity of our trainees and staff.

Programmes

Find your field.

12 departments spanning engineering to enterprise. Every programme runs at artisan, craft, certificate or diploma level.

All programmes →

DEPT / 01

Business Studies

Accountancy, supply chain, sales and enterprise management.

Certificate Diploma

DEPT / 02

Computing and Informatics

Software, networking and hardware skills for a digital economy.

Certificate Craft Diploma

DEPT / 03

Health Sciences

Community health, nutrition and medical laboratory training.

Certificate Diploma

DEPT / 04

Mechanical Engineering

Fitting, machining, welding and vehicle technology.

Artisan Craft Certificate

DEPT / 05

Building and Civil Engineering

Construction trades, structures and the built environment.

Artisan Craft Certificate

DEPT / 06

Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Power, installation, instrumentation and electronics.

Artisan Craft Certificate

Fig. 02 — On campus

A polytechnic, not a lecture hall

You learn it by making it.

The difference here is the workshop. Competency‑based training means you spend your time on real machines, real materials and real projects, and you leave with a skill an employer can see, not just a certificate.

01 Fully equipped workshops, labs and studios across every department.
02 Industrial attachment that puts you inside real workplaces before you graduate.
03 Competency-based curriculum aligned to national TVET standards.
04 A campus whose engineering work has reached international markets.