Kagadi Institute of Science and Technology (KISTEC) is a technical institute offering professional courses in vocational, science and Technology. The Institute started in 2019 with one borrowed tailoring machine and one laptop but has now grown into a vibrant, practical and center of excellence in vocational, science and technology courses in western Uganda. KISTEC has positioned itself to provide students with hands-on skills that enable them to create their own jobs through the knowledge and skills they gain from KISTEC training programs.
The courses offered at KISTEC are in line with the national aspirations of Uganda stipulated in the Uganda vision 2040 (UGV2040). The institute aims at graduating students who are resilient, innovative, creative, competitive, and business oriented. This is done through equipping students with skills for self-reliance. All the courses offered at KISTEC are driven by information and Communication Technology (ICT). Students are equipped with ICT skills that enable them to not only excel in their studies but also integrate ICT in businesses especially in planning, marketing, record keeping and analyzing the performance of their businesses.
Students who go through KISTEC are able to; Come up with relevant solutions to community problems through creation, innovation and invention, start their own businesses through the knowledge and skills acquired from KISTEC, empower other people through employing them in their startups and write competitive business plans. KISTEC is targeting to enable both the underserved and unserved communities to access to quality, relevant and right education.
KISTEC graduates make effective use of the skills and knowledge at their disposal to set up sustainable businesses, keep in touch with global trends and get empowered to make best decisions. In March, 2022, KISTEC acquired an Assessment Centre Number from Directorate of Industrial Training-DIT (Centre number MAC/1901).
KISTEC has set up a production unit where students produce clothes, metallic doors, windows and other products made using the skills learnt in all KISTEC different courses. The aim of setting up the unit is to TURN YOUTH INTO MANUFACTURERS, which is one of key areas being implemented by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the 2021-2026 Manifesto.
KISTEC has helped youths who have been affected by Covid-19 especially teen mothers and school dropouts who did not complete P.7 or S.4 to get vocational skills and these are assessed by DIT under Modular Assessment Program.
To-date, KISTEC has trained over 200 youth of which 65% are females and 35% are males. These have also impacted on hundreds of people in the communities where students are coming from.
