TVETA Shuts Down Another College, Gives Institutions 21 Days to Comply
The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) has shut down another college in Tigoni, saying the institution was offering illegal training programs and issuing certificates with no value.
In a statement, TVETA said the college, which was operating under the name Initiative for Skills Empowerment, was closed with the help of the Limuru Sub-County security team after it was found to be operating without official registration. According to the authority, this was a direct violation of the TVET Act, CAP 210A.
TVETA explained that the institution had no legal approval to run training programs, yet it continued admitting students and collecting fees. The authority noted that the crackdown is part of an ongoing operation in Kiambu and Machakos counties targeting colleges and centres operating without proper licences.
According to investigators, the project had originally started as a donor-funded initiative meant to offer free skills training to young people. However, TVETA says the program was later taken over by a Community-Based Organisation (CBO), which allegedly turned it into a money-making venture.
The organisation is accused of charging students fees for courses such as plumbing and hairdressing, despite lacking qualified trainers, approved learning materials, and proper training equipment. TVETA said the institution also had no recognised curriculum to support the courses being offered.
Many students were reportedly left shocked and disappointed after learning that the certificates they were promised were fake and not recognised by any official body.
Some had been told their exams would be done elsewhere, only to later discover the qualifications had no value.
Kiambu County Deputy County Commissioner Harrison Mutevwa, who led the closure operation, ordered the institution to leave the public land it had been using immediately. He also warned local administrators against allowing such illegal operations to continue in their areas.
The latest closure comes only days after TVETA was involved in another major case concerning the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM). The institution had been found responsible for offering unapproved courses, leading to all certificates issued from 2018 being questioned.
Following that incident, TVETA Head of Compliance Paul Wanyeki advised affected students to seek justice through legal channels, saying there are systems in place to help those who paid for training that did not meet required standards.
He also encouraged students planning to join colleges to first confirm whether an institution is officially registered through TVETA’s online portal before enrolling.
TVETA said the Tigoni closure is part of a larger nationwide campaign to restore standards in the education sector. The authority has now given institutions across the country 21 days to regularise their operations or face closure.
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