Courses Offered
Various courses for different cadres of trainees are offered, with varying durations depending on their training needs. Courses can also be tailor-made to meet the desired objectives by the user, which is normally done after needs assessment has been conducted. The school offers the following courses:
Basic Recruits’ Course
Refresher/Retraining Course
Officers’ Induction Courses
Platoon Commanders’ Course
Basic Instructors’ Course
Problem Animal Control Rangers’ Course
Game Scouts’ Course
Forest Guards’ Course
Company Commanders’ Course
Conversion Courses
Fire management systems
Basic Investigation Courses
Basic Intelligence Courses
Training Facilities
When the school was established, it was meant to offer bush/field training hence no permanent facilities such as classrooms were built. It was desirable at that time to conduct classes in make-shift bush shades so that trainees could get used to field conditions and hardships to prepare them well for the reality out there. However, due to various demandsand changing working conditions, the organisation has embarked on putting up modern and permanent facilities to meet the modern dynamic demands.
The location within Tsavo West National Park is ideal as it provides limitless training ground for practical lessons in field craft and maneuvers (basic combat skills), map reading/GPS.
In terms of accommodation, the school has permanent and semi- permanent barracks, which can accommodate up to 600 trainees, and construction of modern accommodation, is going on. The school has a number of tents for accommodation for excess trainees. The tents are also used in field exercises. A modern kitchen facility has just been completed to replace a temporary structure and plans are underway to construct a large modern mess for trainees to replace an existing semi-permanent structure. The school is lucky to be connected to the constant and fresh water supply from the natural Mzima Springs pipeline.
Other facilities include a parade ground with a pavilion mainly used for passing out parades, a recreational area with various pitches for various games and sports, several television sets connected to DSTVs and video entertainment is also provided for staff and trainees.
The school has a fully equipped clinic complete with a laboratory and qualified staff, a clinical officer, a nurse and a lab technician. It also has several electronic equipments which include computers. Officers use these facilities for instructional and administration purposes. However, internet is lacking because of unreliable connection facility although we are expecting to be connected soon on completion of the new safari card system.
The school has a temporary shooting range though not fully developed; it supports most shooting events in both rifle and pistols. However, plans are at advanced stages for the construction of a 1,000-metre international shooting range. The school is served by a two-kilometre well maintained all weather airstrip sufficient for day landing for most light aircrafts. All the school’s staff is housed in the compound, though at the moment, due to the recent increase of personnel, we are experiencing some congestion. However, this is being addressed and the construction of several staff houses begins soon.
Collaboration With Other Institutions
Over the years, the school has enjoyed warm and cordial working relationships with several other training institutions within and outside KWS. A case in point is our sister facility, the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute – Naivasha, where we run some training programmes jointly. Occasionally, we send trainees to the institute for wildlife studies and at times have lecturers coming to Manyani on temporary attachment.
Besides the KWSTI, Manyani Field Training School has over the years worked closely with the General Service Unit (GSU). The GSU is credited with having started the paramilitary training in KWS and contributed immensely to the setting of Manyani Field Training School. Up to now, we still get a lot of support from the GSU in terms of training and their staff on attachment.
The Administration Police Training College (APTC) Embakasi and the Kenya Police CID Training School are institutions we have shared a lot in terms of training.
Instructor's Development
The following instructor courses have been identified by the school and most instructors have already been trained as part of the efforts to build the school’s instructional capacity: -
Basic Instructors Course
Advanced Instructors Course
Training of Trainers Course
Middle Management Course
Senior Management Course
Managing the Training Function
Physical Training Course
Map Reading Course (GIS)