Government Training Institute Mombasa started as Coast Secretarial Training Center in 1963 as a pre-service secretarial college under the leadership of A. da Cruz. Going by the intake advertisement carried in the Kenya Gazette of October 4, 1966, the target group were students who had completed Secondary School education up to Cambridge School Certificate standard (Form IV) and had sound knowledge of written and spoken English.

Where prospective participants were still in school, they were required to forward their application through their headteacher to attach a statement showing the division they were expected to attain and the level of English they should reach in the Cambridge School Certificate examination.

The subjects of study included Shorthand, Typewriting, and Secretarial duties, English, Current Affairs and General Knowledge.  Courses lasted for about one year and participants had to sign a bond to work for government for a minimum period of three years.

Successful graduates were eligible for appointment as Stenographers/Secretaries if they passed at Shorthand 100 words per minute and Typewriting 40 words per minute, or as pool Stenographers if they passed at Shorthand 80 words per minute and Typewriting 30 words per minute.

On December 29, 1967, through a Gazette Notice No. 4509 by the Director of Personnel Mr. W.N. Wamalwa, the name of the institution was changed to the Government Secretarial College, Mombasa. 

In order to expand public service transformation agenda, the Kenya Government Secretarial College in May 1978 is renamed the Government Training Institute Mombasa to provide management development training for public sector organizations. Overtime, the Institute diversified its objectives not only to offer in-service training but also research and consultancy services. It progressively contributed towards performance enhancement and service delivery in the Public Sector through training and capacity building interventions.

The Institute offered courses in areas such as Procurement, Accounts, Secretarial Management, Records Management, Office Management, Leadership Training for Local Authorities, and later Senior Management Course.

In 2012, the Government Training Institute, Mombasa became a campus of the Kenya School of Government as established by an Act of Parliament. The formation led to consolidation of the Kenya Institute of Administration, the Kenya Learning Development Centre and all the Government Training Institutes in Baringo, Embu, Matuga and Mombasa.