The long-awaited Ronald Ngala Utalii College, Kilifi County will officially admit its first cohort of 1,000 students on September 1, 2026.
Tourism Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said this will mark a major milestone in Kenya's efforts to strengthen tourism and hospitality training.
He confirmed the opening during an inspection tour of the multi-billion-shilling institution, describing the facility as one of the most modern tourism training colleges in Africa.
The college will offer diploma programmes and short-term professional courses in catering, hotel management, housekeeping, seafaring and other hospitality-related fields.
Bitok said the State Department for Tourism had completed an assessment of the facility and was satisfied that it was ready to welcome students.
"We have assessed the status of this facility and I am happy to inform you that it is ready for occupation. The State Department of Tourism is doing everything possible to ensure that the first cohort of students reports to this college on September 1, 2026, which is in another 40 days," said Bitok.
He said the government was working closely with the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), Kenya Utalii College, the Tourism Fund, Kilifi County Government and other stakeholders to facilitate the admission of the pioneer class.
"Our plan with KUCCPS is to have the first 1,000 students report to this campus in the next 40 days. We are working together with all stakeholders to ensure everything is set for students," he added.
According to the PS, the institution is 95 per cent complete, with the remaining works expected to be finalized within the next month ahead of the official opening.
He described the beachfront campus as a state-of-the-art facility that would restore Kenya Utalii College's reputation as a premier hospitality training institution while helping the country meet its ambitious target of attracting five million international tourists annually by 2028.
"It is an amazing facility and one of its kind in Africa. Looking at the preparedness, it is state of the art. The government has invested heavily to ensure we bring back the original Utalii College training. This investment will go a long way in ensuring that we meet our target of five million tourists by 2028," Bitok said.
Besides offering diploma courses, the college will provide short certification programmes for cruise ship personnel, addressing a long-standing skills gap that has seen many Kenyans miss out on employment opportunities due to lack of internationally recognized certifications.
Bitok also revealed plans to partner with private investors through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to construct a modern beachfront hotel within the campus over the next one to two years, creating additional training opportunities for students.
He urged political leaders to refrain from making statements that could negatively affect Kenya's tourism sector, emphasizing that the government was investing heavily in training skilled personnel and improving tourism infrastructure.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro welcomed the opening of the institution, saying it would create jobs, boost the local economy and expand access to higher education for coastal residents.
"We have waited for this facility for a long period. There were many challenges that delayed its completion, but the government has moved with speed to ensure it opens its doors to the pioneer students. We appeal to the government to continue supporting short courses, especially for cruise ship personnel, because there is huge demand for certified workers," said Mung'aro.
He noted that the opening of Ronald Ngala Utalii College is expected to transform tourism and hospitality training in Kenya while positioning Kilifi as a key centre for skills development in the Blue Economy and the country's growing tourism industry.