Historical Background
Uganda Technical College Kyema is one of the five science technical colleges in Uganda. Established in 2005 as a vocational training institute by a Non Governmental Organization called Elimination of Child Labor in Tobacco Growing Areas in Uganda to eradicate child labor in tobacco growing in the districts of Masindi, Hoima, Kiryandongo and the neighboring areas, Kyema Vocational Training Institute offered non formal short courses of six months’ duration to children who were got from tobacco growing activities to equip them with life time survival skills employable in the communities.
These skills included Carpentry and joinery, Brick laying and concrete practice, Tailoring and garment cutting and were completely sponsored by the project. The NGO constructed workshops, classrooms, equipped them and recruited staff to handle the programs. Later on, The AIDS Support Organization collaborated with the founders and offered support to HIV/AIDS affected and infected children and facilitated their training which increased the number of children trained.
In 2010, the Ministry of Education and Sports took over the vocational institute and upgraded it to a Technical College, under the BTVET department to offer diploma programs in engineering and Information Communication Technology, along side certificate programs. The Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with the district to continue facilitating and using the available infrastructure to train vulnerable children especially those with child labor background thus maintain the original objectives of the vocational institute.
The college is duly registered by the Ministry of Education and Sports as a government institution and run with a clear management structure comprising of the governing council, the principal and a staff team.