Buruburu Catholic Institute of Fine Arts (BIFA)

Buruburu Catholic Institute of Fine Arts (BIFA) is a technical and vocational college in Buruburu, Harambee ward, Makadara, set along Mumias South Road opposite the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and close to Buruburu shopping centre. It is owned and managed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi and grew out of a 1990 initiative by the Blessed Sacrament Parish to give young people from the surrounding estates a route into creative careers after secondary school. The college is accredited by TVETA (registration TVETA/PRIVATE/TVC/0037/2022) and registered with KNEC and NITA, with KNEC and TVET-CDACC as its examining bodies. Its core programmes are certificate and diploma courses in fashion design, graphic design, interior design and fine art. Six-month short courses cover dressmaking, tailoring and graphic design, while six-week courses include photography, pattern drafting, soft furnishing, fabric decoration, digital graphics, painting techniques, ArchiCAD and social media marketing. Trainees exhibit their work at college shows, and the institute runs a student association, clubs and a production unit. Training is shaped by Christian values and character formation alongside practical studio work.