Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education Julius Migos Ogamba has warned principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions against imposing fee structures not approved by the Ministry of Education, cautioning that disciplinary action will be taken against those found violating the directive.
Speaking at the closing of a three-day Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI) Leadership Engagement and Capacity Building Workshop in Mombasa on Wednesday, Ogamba directed institution heads to consult the Ministry whenever they had concerns rather than unilaterally adding charges to approved fees.
“We cannot be having principals adding additional charges to fees contrary to what the government has approved. If you have an issue, consult and let us work together, but no institution should add more charges,” he said.
The CS also challenged TVET leaders to move beyond administrative roles and embrace transformational leadership anchored in accountability, evidence-based decision-making, and alignment with labour market demands.
Ogamba noted that Kenya’s regional and global competitiveness would be shaped by the quality and relevance of its skills base and directed institutions to integrate digital tools, automation, and artificial intelligence into training programmes to prepare learners for the jobs of tomorrow.
Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department of TVET Dr Esther Muoria reiterated the position, urging principals to uphold approved fee structures, protect public resources and ensure all investments in equipment translate into training, production, and measurable results.
Dr. Muoria announced that TVET institutions equipped with garages would begin servicing government vehicles, replacing the current practice of outsourcing such work to private providers.
“We want to begin to repair all government vehicles in our TVET institutions with garages rather than the government spending money taking vehicles to be repaired by others. We shall do them in our institutions and we will begin with the ones at Jogoo House,” she said.
The PS cited a National Treasury directive as evidence that the country was beginning to trust TVET institutions not only to train learners but also to deliver practical services, adding that the Toyota Kenya partnership already provided a working model of co-training between industry and institutions.
Both officials emphasized the need for TVET institutions to move from passive capacity building to active implementation, warning that attending workshops without follow-through amounted to institutional underperformance and a waste of public resources.
Dr. Muoria called on principals to assert themselves as chief executive officers of their institutions and personally drive industry linkages capable of unlocking trainee placements, equipment access and production partnerships.
On quality assurance, the PS stated that the credibility of Competency-Based Education and Training would be judged not by enrolment numbers but by the ability of graduates to perform tasks independently and to industry standards, adding that assessment malpractice would not be tolerated.
“Principals will be held personally accountable where standards are compromised,” she warned.
Dr. Muoria also directed institutions to comply with financial reporting obligations under the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 and Section 14(2) of the TVET Act, 2013, which require audited financial statements to be submitted not later than three months after the close of each Financial Year.
The three-day workshop brought together principals, deputy principals, registrars, and quality assurance officers from TVET institutions across the country under the theme: Transforming TVET Institutions through Strategic Leadership, Financial Stewardship, and Quality Assurance.
By Sadik Hassan
