Kenya Pipeline Company's technical training institute is targeting the certification of more than 30 pipeline welders annually as the country's oil and gas sector expands rapidly. The Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas National Polytechnic, wholly owned by Kenya Pipeline Company Plc, is scaling up specialised training and international certification of pipeline welders and other technical professionals to address critical skills shortages across Kenya and the wider East Africa region.
The expansion comes amid major energy investments in the country, including the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu County and the Gulf Energy-led South Lokichar oil development project in Turkana County. According to Kenya Pipeline Company Plc's Acting Managing Director and CEO, Pius Mwendwa, the institute is positioned to deliver more than 100 certified pipeline welders annually. The institute launched its first roadshow to raise awareness of technical and vocational training opportunities available to prospective students.
The initiative forms part of Kenya Pipeline Company Plc's strategy to develop a highly skilled, globally competitive technical workforce that can support Kenya's industrialisation agenda, strengthen local participation in major infrastructure projects, and expand employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals both domestically and abroad. Since 2024, the institute has delivered 101 certified pipeline welders to the market, with most employed at Kenya Pipeline Company and others working as expatriates abroad. This year alone, the institute graduated 10 certified pipeline welders, a significant increase from the fewer than ten welders certified annually a decade ago.
For savers and workers in Kenya, the institute's expanded training programme offers pathways to employment in the growing energy sector both within the country and internationally, while supporting businesses operating in Kenya's oil and gas infrastructure to access skilled technical talent.