Kenya Pipeline Company's technical training institution is expanding its pipeline welder certification programme to address skills shortages in the region's oil and gas sector. The Morendat Institute of Oil & Gas National Polytechnic is targeting the training and certification of more than 30 pipeline welders each year, with the institute's acting managing director saying it is positioned to deliver more than 100 certified welders annually.
The expansion is driven by major energy investments including the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu County and the Gulf Energy-led South Lokichar oil development project in Turkana County. 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. The institute graduated 10 certified pipeline welders this year, compared with less than ten a decade ago.
Kenya Pipeline Company said the training initiative is part of its strategy to develop a highly skilled, globally competitive technical workforce that supports Kenya's industrialisation agenda and strengthens local participation in major infrastructure projects. For savers, borrowers and businesses, access to skilled workers trained locally could help reduce project costs and improve employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals domestically and internationally.