The Kenya Utalii College 46th Graduation Ceremony
On the 23rd of June 2022, the Kenya Utalii College held its 46th graduation ceremony from 10.00 am at the Main Campus. The graduation was held as a hybrid event. The Chief Guest at the ceremony was Hon. Najib Balala, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife.
In compliance with Covid-19 protocols, they had limited invitations to a few key stakeholders in Kenya’s Hospitality & Tourism industry, Kenya Utalii College Council members, College Management, and a few members of Staff and Students.
During his address to the graduating students, the minister said ”Congratulations to all the graduands for passing with flying colors in the various fields of the hospitality and tourism industry. I am confident that you are adequately equipped with pertinent competencies to serve this nation and drive professionalism within the industry.
I am sure the industry is excited to receive a new cohort of professionals; and their expectations are high. Therefore, always remember for a customer, it is the quality of the service transaction that determines their perception of the product and destination. Therefore, aim to always give consistent service excellence to your customers. Remember, Kenya Utalii College graduates have already set the bar high, do not let them and the country down.
Further, I congratulate the College Council, Staff and Students on the launch of the College’s Strategic Plan 2021-2026; as well as on receiving the ISO 9001:2015 Certification. The Strategic Plan 2021-2026 provides a roadmap for the institution, which is anchored on three pillars namely, Training, Enterprise and Partnerships.” Hon. Najib Balala said.
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THE KENYA UTALII COLLEGE
Kenya Utalii College (KUC) is a leading African hospitality and tourism training institution. Established 47 years ago the College has trained over 60,000 graduates from around the world who continue to serve in the local and international hospitality and tourism industry. The College opened its doors in 1975 and was established under the Hotels and Restaurants Act, (Cap. 494, Laws of Kenya) which has since been replaced by the Tourism Act, 2011.
KUC is among the three African EUHOFA (International Association of Hotel Schools) members. EUHOFA International is a prestigious association of hotel school directors and deans of hospitality colleges and universities who work continuously to ensure the highest quality of education in their institutes. The international hotel school association, EUHOFA International, started in 1955 and has grown since then. Today there are 200 members worldwide. The College hosted the international congress in 1996 and again in 2016. In addition, the institution is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Some of our courses have acquired accreditation by the Tourism Education Quality (TEDQUAL) certification body. Further, KUC is an authorized International Air Travel Agency (IATA) Training Center. It is also East and Sub-Saharan Africa’s only Japanese Proficiency Language Test (JPLT) Examination Centre. Kenya Utalii College is the Secretariat for Africa’s only Association of Hospitality and Tourism Schools (AHTSA) which has a membership of more than 27 hospitality and tourism schools drawn from over 15 countries. In addition, it is an East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) accredited Center of Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism training.
In December, 2013 the College produced the best student in Kenya in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – Travel and Tourism Consultant – examinations. In March 2014 the institution also produced Kenya’s best student in the IATA Airline Cabin Crew Course. Moreover the College, in February, 2015, represented the country in the Young Chef Olympiad in Kolkota, India and emerged fourth. The competition had participants from over 15 countries around the world. The College, which was Kenya’s only representative in the competition, had a student (Mr. Ian Iganze), as the delegate and a Food Production Lecturer (Chef Jafred Kipande) accompanying him in the three-day activity that was held between Monday, 26th, and Saturday, 31st January 2015. The institution maintained the same position in the competition last year. The College was represented by Food Production student; Ms. Catherine Wanjiku Waruingi, who was accompanied by Chef Elolia Kitum. The competition attracted student chefs from 51 countries across the world. The event was held between Tuesday 26th January and Monday 1st February 2016.
KUC is distinguished for providing world-class training for both the local and international hospitality and tourism industries. Among the strategies put in place to achieve this is a collaboration with other reputable training institutions, both locally and internationally, to help us deliver our mandate of Training and Capacity Building, Research and Consultancy for the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. Internationally the institutions include the Manchester Metropolitan University-UK; Makerere University-Uganda; Dr. Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence & Business Management (LIUTEBM)- Zambia; Zanzibar Institute of Tourism Development (ZITOD) and Vocational and Educational Training Authority (VETA) of Tanzania among others. Locally, since 2010, Kenya Utalii College has had a collaboration with the University of Nairobi which has culminated in the offering of two-degree programs; Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management and Bachelor of Arts in Travel and Tourism Management. The two programmes have boosted the provision of quality training in the hospitality and tourism industry in the country and beyond. This is also aligned to Kenya’s economic development blueprint, Vision 2030. In order to meet the ever-growing demand for training, especially for those already in employment, the College is gearing up to start offering e-learning in the near future. Increased linkages between the College and the hospitality and tourism industry stakeholders has seen most KUC graduates get internships and jobs in leading establishments within the industry. The institution is closely linked to the industry through the Tourism industry/Kenya Utalii College Liaison Committee.
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