No country has industrialised without strong investment in engineering and technical skills. Kenya knows this. Yet enrolment gains in TVETs mask a worrying trend. Dropout rates are rising as tuition costs climb beyond the reach of many families.
The removal of the Sh30,000 capitation has pushed students out of classrooms and workshops. For a sector meant to open doors, this is closing them.
The focus must shift from optics to access and quality. Workshops need modern equipment. Trainers need support and competitive pay. Students need affordable fees and clear pathways into jobs. Without this, graduation attire will not translate into skilled workers who can power industry.
Kenya often talks of Singapore as a model. That success was built on deliberate investment in technical education, tight links with industry and strong public funding. It was not built on graduation ceremonies.
There is value in restoring dignity to technical careers. Let mechanics wear overalls and chefs wear their whites. But dignity also comes from completing training without financial strain and finding meaningful work.
Restoring capitation would be a practical first step. Strengthening TVET financing and governance must follow.
Quote of the day: “There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience.” —American poet and playwright Archibald MacLeish died on April 20, 1982.
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