Kericho-based Browns Plantations Kenya Limited has expanded its investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), awarding scholarships worth Sh8.3 million to 39 students while providing graduates with tools to help them transition into employment and entrepreneurship.
The initiative, implemented through the Browns and Finlays Community Trust in partnership with Finlays, aims to strengthen Kenya’s skilled workforce and address youth unemployment and the national skills gap.
The latest beneficiaries were drawn from all 11 constituencies in Kericho and Bomet counties. They will pursue market-driven courses in automotive engineering, building and construction, electrical installation, and plumbing technology at Belgut Technical Training Institute and Konoin Technical Training Institute.
Since its launch in 2024, the programme has supported 119 students at a total investment of approximately Sh25.7 million.
Six graduates from the inaugural 2024 cohort also received trade-specific start-up toolkits valued at up to Sh50,000 each after completing their technical training and post-training mentorship. The tools are intended to help the graduates apply their skills, secure employment, or establish their own businesses.
Speaking during the scholarship and toolkit award ceremony, Browns Plantations Kenya Chief Executive Officer and Browns and Finlays Community Trust Patron Dushanth Ratwatte said investment in technical education must go beyond paying tuition fees.
“Kenya’s future competitiveness will depend on a workforce equipped with practical, industry-relevant skills,” Ratwatte said.
“Scholarships open doors, but mentorship, workplace experience and the right tools help young people walk confidently through them. Through this programme, we are preparing young people not only to graduate, but to succeed in employment, entrepreneurship and lifelong careers,” he added.
Unlike conventional scholarship programmes that focus primarily on tuition, the initiative combines financial support with technical training, industrial attachment, workplace exposure, and post-training mentorship.
The programme comes at a time when Kenya is seeking to strengthen TVET as a pathway to employment, industrialisation, and economic transformation. By supporting young people to acquire practical, market-oriented skills, it seeks to improve their employability while creating opportunities for self-employment and entrepreneurship.
The latest awards bring Browns Plantations Kenya’s cumulative investment in scholarships to more than Sh360 million, while its education-related infrastructure investments have surpassed Sh350 million across Kericho and Bomet counties.
The investments have supported schools, TVET institutions, and other community facilities through the Browns and Finlays Community Trust.
The ceremony was presided over by Rift Valley National Polytechnic Principal Sammy Chemoiwa and attended by representatives of the national and county governments, TVET institutions, parents, guardians, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
Browns Plantations Kenya, formerly James Finlay Kenya, is part of Browns Plantations under Browns Group, a diversified conglomerate within LOLC Holdings PLC of Sri Lanka.
Through the Browns and Finlays Community Trust, Browns Plantations Kenya and Finlays also support programmes in education, healthcare, water, infrastructure, livelihoods, and disaster relief.
