Bunumbu Teachers College established as a Teacher Training College
The then Bunumbu Teachers College was established in 1924 as a training Centre for Catechists and was later transformed into a teacher training college. It remained one of the only two tertiary institutions in the Eastern Region until May 1991 when it fell into the hands of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels.

Bunumbu Teachers College displaced in Kenema
The college was then evacuated and in October 1991, resumed operations as a displaced institution in Kenema, on the campus of the Government Technical Institute, the other tertiary institution in the Eastern Region, founded in 1957. The two institutions co-existed on the campus of the latter from October 1991 to October 2001 when the Polytechnic Act was passed in Parliament. The Act merged Bunumbu Teachers College and Government Technical Institute into the Eastern Polytechnic. The Act also made provision for the Eastern Polytechnic to claim assets of the parent institutions.

The inception of Eastern Polytechnic
Prior to the Polytechnic status, there were departments and programmes in training teachers and craftsmen. The inception of Eastern Polytechnic in October 2001 necessitated the creation of new departments and the establishment of Faculties and Schools.

Eastern Polytechnic transformed to Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone
On the 8th of July, 2021, “The University Act, 2021” passed into law with unanimity led to the transformation of Eastern Polytechnic to Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone

The Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone is a multi-campus institution, currently located at Kenema (Kenema District), Bunumbu (Kailahun District) and Woama (Kono District). The land area of each campus is as follows: Kenema campus is about 45 acres (with a recent additional acquisition of 344 acres of land in the Small Bo chiefdom as part of the Kenema Campus), Bunumbu campus is about 600 acres and Woama campus about 217 acres.

Prior to the Polytechnic status, there were departments and programmes in training teachers and craftsmen. The inception of Eastern Polytechnic in October 2001 necessitated the creation of new departments and the establishment of Faculties and Schools.