Every year, tens of thousands of students complete their final secondary school exams in Mombasa. Majority of these students end up in various colleges in Mombasa, since university slots available in Kenya are very few compared to the number that completes KCSE. Fortunately, there are quite a good number of good colleges in Mombasa to cater for the majority who don’t make it to university.
This guide explores the best colleges in Mombasa, detailing their specialized courses. The aim is to help students who complete secondary school and who do not make straight entry into university make informed decisions for their academic and professional journey. Colleges in Kenya are generally approved to offer Diploma and Certificate courses while universities offer degree courses.
It’s important to state here clearly that failure to get a direct entry into university is neither a failure nor the end of opportunities in life. As you will find out as you read along, upon completion of your college Diploma or Certificate, there are many possibilities, including progressing to university. Furthermore, recently, demand for Diploma and certificate holders for employment in Kenya especially for skill courses is high. The trend towards success in the world today is to acquire skills which are backed by academic qualification and not the other way round.
Decide the course wish to pursue
This may look obvious but it’s not. Before you step into choosing a college, you need to decide which course you wish to pursue and your career line. If you were never guided on career before, following is basic guidance on choosing a career and therefore a course towards that career.
Note: You are most likely to succeed in a career or profession you like. Do not choose a career just because it pays more because you will rarely excel.
When it comes to choosing a course;
- Consider your passion, hobbies or interests. Think of what you like doing and you would enjoy doing as a job for the rest of your life.
- You should also consider possibilities of employment and self-employment in that career
- Consider the courses which align to the career possibilities you’ve chosen.
Once you have decided on the course or courses you wish to pursue, you can now start identifying colleges in Mombasa. You can do a Google search. You can also talk to friends already in college, your parents or guardians who can help in identifying a number of good colleges in Mombasa. Now you have decided on your course or courses of choice and you have a long list of colleges in Mombasa. From here, you now have to dive deeper to find out which are the best colleges in Mombasa and if they offer your courses of choice. Let’s work together to assist you make a good decision.
Guide to choosing the best colleges in Mombasa
Mombasa has very many colleges to choose from and can at times be tricky without reliable guidance. Following is a simple four step professional guide that will assist you in making the right choice in deciding which is the best college in Mombasa to join for your Diploma or certificate course.
Step 1
Before you make choices, the first critical step is to ensure that the college in Mombasa you wish to join is registered with TVET Authority (TVETA),
TVET Authority (TVETA) accredits all colleges operating in Kenya, whether private colleges or government colleges. Therefore if a college is not accredited by TVETA, it means it is not licensed to operate in Kenya and can be shut down any time. This also means that it is likely that the college does not meet minimum requirements in areas like quality assurance for it to be accredited by TVETA. It’s therefore very risky to join any college which is not accredited by TVETA Kenya
Visit the TVETA website , check each of the colleges in your list to find out if they are TVETA accredited. Knock down any Mombasa college in the list which is not accredited by TVETA. Narrow down the selection by listing only the TVET registered colleges from your initial wish list then move to the next step.
Step 2
From the list in Step 1, which includes only TVET registered colleges in Mombasa, find out what Exam Bodies each of the colleges is accredited to and if the course you wish to do is included. You can easily get this information by visiting their websites, visiting or calling.
A note on Examination Bodies;
Examination bodies in Kenya are broadly categorized into;
1. Local exam bodies – These are Kenyan examination bodies e.g.KNEC, KASNEB etc
2. International exam bodies – These are foreign registered examination bodies e.g. ICM, ABMA, ABE etc.
Foreign examination bodies are accredited by (Kenya National Qualifications Authority) KNQA. To verify if an international body is accredited by KNQA, visit the KNQA website – https://nqd.knqa.go.ke/registered-qais then Click on filter by category then select Foreign QAB
Pros of local examination bodies
- Holders of local exams certificates are given preference when looking for a government job. However in private industry employment – both certificates from local exams and international exams stand equal chance
- Exam fees are much lower compared to foreign exam bodies
Cons of local examination bodies
- With local exam certificate, you may face challenges when it comes to progressing with education outside of Kenya.
- Getting a job outside Kenya is a bit challenging because of , one with an international exam certificate is given priority.
Pros of International examination bodies
- With international recognition, you can easily progress with education outside Kenya
- Getting a job outside Kenya is easier
Cons of International examination bodies
- When applying for a government job, you stand fewer chances compared to holders of local certification. However in private industry employment – both certificates from local exams and international exams stand equal chance
- The examination fees which are paid in foreign currency are expensive.
Step 3
Now you have a lean list of
- Tveta registered colleges in Mombasa and to choose from,
- Exam bodies they are accredited to
Select only those colleges in the list that offer your desired course/s under exam body of your choice. This is now your final list.
Step 4
Visit individual websites of the colleges in your final list and check out for more information about them before you make a decision. If you live in Mombasa, you can decide to physically visit the colleges for further information.
What you need to consider before making your final decision
a. For how long the college has been in existence in Mombasa. Generally, colleges that have existed for longer durations are more stable, reliable and trusted.
b . Location and accessibility. This is especially critical if you intend to take evening lessons
c. What physical and technical facilities the colleges have. Access to modern technologies such as Free Wi-Fi and eLearning platforms greatly enhance learning.
d. Fees charged. On this one, you have to be very careful. Some colleges in Mombasa market their courses with low fees but have other hidden charges which eventually make them very expensive. Ask that the fees be in writing and all charges be included.
e. You can visit individual Google business profiles of the select colleges and read their reviews.
f. If you wish to join a college in Mombasa but you do not live in Mombasa, then you need to find out if the college has hostel facilities or if there are private hostel facilities near the college.
Best Colleges in Mombasa
To make it easier for you, we have researched and prepared the following list of the best Colleges in Mombasa, generally courses they offer and their website links;
Kenya Medical Training Institute https://kmtc.ac.ke/
Among the first pioneer colleges in Kenya, the The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) was established in 1927. KMTC is a Government of Kenya institution under the Ministry of Health. The college specializes in health courses. KMTC offers certificate, diploma, and higher diploma courses.
Courses offered by KMTC include Clinical Medicine, Pharmacy ,Surgery, Community Health Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Engineering, Nutrition and Dietetics, Radiography and Imaging, Public Health, Health Records and Information Technology
You cannot apply to join KMTC physically. Applications for pre-service courses are typically made through the KUCCPS portal. In-service applications are made using the KMTC admissions portal. KMTC offers hostel facilities.
Rifkins College https://www.rifkinscollege.com/
Established in 1953, Rifkins College in Mombasa is a private college and one of the top tier colleges in Mombasa. The college boosts of an established online campus with students from all over the world.
Rifkins college offers a wide range of courses in Business, Hospitality & Tourism, Computing & IT, Computer engineering, Maritime & Logistics, Journalism & Media, Languages, Hairdressing & Beauty, Accounting, Occupational safety and short skill courses.
To join Rifkins College, you can visit the college physically or apply online via this link https://www.rifkinscollege.com/feepayment.php .Rifkins college offers hostel facilities.
Shanzu Teachers Training College https://shanzuttc.ac.ke/
Shanzu Teachers‘ Training College is a public institution and was established in 1967. The college specializes in Teaching, offering diploma and certificate courses in education.
The college offers both Diploma in Primary Teacher Education and also Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education.
Located in Shanzu, Mombasa County, the college offers boarding facilities.
Over the years, due to changing needs Shanzu teachers College now offers business and IT courses including Business Management, Human resource, Supply chain, Information Technology and accounting.
Kenya National Coast Polytechnic https://kenyacoastpoly.ac.ke/
Kenya National Coast Polytechnic is a national Polytechnic located in Mombasa. It is the only national polytechnic in Mombasa. Previously, the only polytechnic in Mombasa was the Mombasa Polytechnic which transformed to Technical University of Mombasa.
As a national Polytechnic, KNCP serves students from all over the country and has boarding facilities.
KNCP was established in 1950 as Coast Technical High School. It changed name to Mombasa Technical Training Institute (MTTI) in 1984. It was granted National polytechnic status in 2016 therefore changing name to Kenya Coast National Polytechnic (KCNP).
KNCP offers a wide range of courses in Applied Sciences, Building & Civil Engineering, Business, Electrical & Electronics, Hospitality, Computing, Maritime, Health sciences and mechanical engineering.
To be sponsored by Government-to join KNCP, one must apply through the KUCCPS portal, Self-sponsored candidates apply directly using forms available on the KNCP website.
Bandari Maritime Academy https://bma.ac.ke/
Previously Bandari College which is now Bandari Maritime Academy was established in 1980 the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). At the time the purpose was for in-house training in port operations for KPA personnel. The institution later broadened to offer various Maritime industry courses not only to KPA personnel but also the general public.
Bandari Maritime Academy is a top tier Maritime Institute accredited by the the International Maritime organization (IMO).
Bandari college offers accredited courses in Port Operation Equipment, Maritime transport operations, Maritime Engineering and Nautical Science.
The college also offers the internationally accredited STCW courses for seafarers. The courses includes safety, coxwain , First Aid, firefighting, personal survival , lifeguard, crowd management and more.
To apply to join Bandari Maritime Academy, visit their website and fill the application form.
Visit the website of other notable colleges in Mombasa below;
Kenya School of Government https://mombasa.ksg.ac.ke/
National Industrial Training Authority https://www.nita.go.ke/training-centres/nita-mombasa.html
Mombasa Aviation Training Institute https://mati.ac.ke/
Progression after College
Upon completing your Diploma course, you have two options; Either join the job market or progress to a university. We will discuss this further in another blog.
We hope this information will make it easier for you to make a choice while searching for the best college in Mombasa for you to join. You can do more further via google search or taking to friend and your high school teachers. We wish you the very best as you pursue college education in Kenya.