Hospitality & Tourism

Diploma in Catering and Accomondation

The Diploma in Catering and Accommodation Management is a KNEC-examined programme that trains professionals for Kenya's hospitality industry. The course covers food and beverage production, food and beverage service, housekeeping, front office operations, catering control, accommodation management, hospitality accounting, and sales and marketing across three modules.

Students develop competencies in food preparation, catering premises management, diet therapy, accommodation operations, hospitality law, and human relations. The programme combines culinary skills with accommodation management and hospitality business administration.

Kenya's tourism sector, one of the country's largest foreign exchange earners, continues to grow with increasing hotel investments, conference tourism, and domestic travel. Hotels, restaurants, lodges, conference centres, and catering companies actively recruit diploma holders for supervisory and management trainee positions.

The programme combines classroom theory with extensive kitchen practicals, restaurant service exercises, housekeeping demonstrations, and front office simulations. Students prepare various cuisines, set up restaurant services, manage accommodation operations, and develop business plans. A supervised industrial attachment in a hotel or restaurant provides hands-on hospitality experience.

Graduates work as catering supervisors, food and beverage assistants, accommodation officers, front office assistants, and housekeeping supervisors. Employers include hotels, restaurants, lodges, hospitals, educational institutions, and catering companies. Many graduates also establish catering businesses or restaurants.

This programme is suitable for KCSE graduates with a mean grade of C- (minus) who are interested in hospitality, culinary arts, and tourism. It provides a direct pathway into Kenya's hospitality sector with progression options to degree programmes in hospitality and tourism management.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Private, up to: Ksh 27,050
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

6 subjects

Research Methods
Communication Skills
Information Technology
Project Management
Entrepreneurship
Statistics

Modules

10 in the programme

Food and Beverage Service and Sales
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Restaurant service and customer care techniques for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Housekeeping, Front Office, Laundry
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Housekeeping operations and front office procedures for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Food and Beverage Production
Year 1Semester 14 creditsCore
Cooking principles and food preparation techniques for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Catering and Accommodation Control I
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Food costing and stock control including cleaning standards, linen management, and quality assurance for hospitality establishments.
Accommodation Management I
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Advanced housekeeping and lodging management for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Hospitality Accounting
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Bookkeeping and financial management for hospitality for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Diet Therapy
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Therapeutic nutrition and special diet planning for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Principles and Practices of Management
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Management theory applied to hospitality operations for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Sales and Marketing for Hospitality
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Marketing strategies for hospitality businesses for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Research Methods
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Research methodology for hospitality including research design, data collection, analysis methods, and report writing for project work.

Specialisations

Food and Beverage Production
Professional food preparation, menu planning, and kitchen management for hotels, restaurants, and catering services, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Accommodation Management
Management of room operations, housekeeping, and guest services in hotels, lodges, and accommodation facilities, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Front Office Operations
Guest services, reservations, reception operations, and customer relationship management in hospitality establishments, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Catering and Events Management
Planning and managing catering services for events, conferences, and institutional feeding programmes, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.

A day as a student

Students attend morning theory classes and spend afternoons in practical sessions, workshops, or laboratory work applying concepts learned in class.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's growing tourism sector provides diverse employment opportunities in hotels, restaurants, and lodges.
Practical culinary and hospitality skills enable self-employment through catering businesses.

Against it

Hospitality work involves long hours including weekends, holidays, and night shifts.
Entry-level positions may have modest salaries before gaining experience and advancing.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 91 hospitality & tourism courses

Public67k to 67k

67k at Public TVET institutions (standardised rate)67k at Public TVET institutions (standardised rate)

Private25k to 27k

25k at NIBS Technical College27k at NIBS Technical College

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

TVET 67,189/yr public (kenyaeducationguide). NIBS 25K-27K/yr private (eafinder.com).

Students can access HELB TVET loans, county government bursaries, and NG-CDF bursaries to support their studies.

Funding options

HELB loan

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in KUCCPS-placed or accredited diploma programmes at recognised TVET institutions.
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Bursaries provided by county governments for needy students from their respective counties.
NG-CDF Bursary
BursaryKsh 15,000Kenyan
Constituency Development Fund bursaries for needy students from the respective constituency.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C-
Alternative entry: Craft Certificate in Catering and Accommodation or Food and Beverage from an accredited TVET institution.

English or Kiswahili
Mathematics

How you are assessed

3 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Coursework30% of the mark
Mid-semester and end-of-semester CATs covering theory and practical components.
KNEC Module Examinations
Exam60% of the mark
National examinations administered by KNEC at the end of each module.
Industrial Attachment Assessment
Practicum10% of the mark
Supervised industrial attachment report and employer assessment.

Accreditation

Programmes accredited by TVETA and examined by KNEC, NITA, or CDACC in Kenya.

Accredited by

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for TVET institutions offering this diploma programme.
Kenya National Examinations Council
Examination bodyRequired
Administers national examinations for the diploma programme at each module level.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Catering Supervisor
High demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 50,000
Supervises catering operations including food preparation, service delivery, and quality control for events and institutions.
Food and Beverage Assistant
Medium demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 45,000
Assists in managing restaurant and bar operations including service standards, stock control, and customer satisfaction.
Accommodation Officer
Medium demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 50,000
Manages room inventory, housekeeping operations, and guest services in hotels and lodges.
Front Office Assistant
Medium demandKsh 26,000 to Ksh 48,000
Handles guest check-in and check-out, reservations, and customer inquiries at hotel front desks.
Housekeeping Supervisor
High demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 50,000
Supervises housekeeping staff and ensures cleanliness and maintenance standards in accommodation facilities.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates of the Catering and Accomondation programme work in relevant industries across Kenya, with opportunities in both public and private sectors.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Micros POS
Point of sale systemPrimary
POS system for restaurant and catering operations
Recipe Costing Software
Food service software
Software for recipe costing and menu pricing
Microsoft Excel
Data analysis
Spreadsheet for catering cost control and budgeting
Property Management System
Hospitality software
Software for managing accommodation bookings and front office operations

Certifications

Industry links

Kenya Tourism Board

Common misconceptions

The Catering and Accomondation diploma is just theory with no practical value.
The programme emphasises hands-on practical training in workshops, laboratories, and industrial attachment, ensuring graduates are job-ready.
Graduates of this programme end up unemployed in Kenya.
Kenya's expanding sectors create steady demand for diploma holders, with opportunities in county governments, private companies, and self-employment.