More than 800 technical and vocational training institutions in Kenya had expired licences by November 2025, raising questions about the enforcement of standards in the sector.
An audit of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) found that 812 of the 2,120 registered institutions, representing 38 per cent, had expired licences.
The report also revealed that 2,424 of the 10,893 licensed trainers, or 22 per cent, had expired licences, exposing the regulator to the risk of allowing institutions and practitioners to operate without valid authorisation.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu warned that the expired licences could undermine training standards and expose the authority to legal and reputational risks for failing to enforce compliance.
The findings are contained in the audit report for the financial year ended June 30, 2025, which raises concerns about accreditation, monitoring and staffing capacity at the agency mandated with regulating technical training institutions.
TVET graduates form the bulk of skilled workers in matters masonry, carpentry, electrical works, plumbing and so on.
The audit found that the authority had weaknesses in following up accreditation applications, with some institutions waiting for years without a final decision.
A review of accreditation procedures established that the authority lacked a standard mechanism for tracking accreditation timelines or escalating cases where applicants failed to respond.
Response deadlines were neither clearly established nor enforced, while the compliance and enforcement department issued notices without taking further action in some cases.
The audit identified 87 registered institutions that had been awaiting accreditation since 2014.
Gathungu said this was contrary to the TVET Act, 2013, which sets out the requirements for registering and licensing training institutions.
The law requires the authority to issue licences to applicants who meet the prescribed conditions or communicate its decisions and recommendations where applications do not meet the requirements.
The failure to follow up on the applications amounted to a breach of the law, the report said.
The findings come amid concerns about the quality of technical training and the need to ensure that institutions and trainers meet the standards required to equip learners with relevant skills.
The authority spent Sh174.2 million on accreditation, quality assurance and standards during the financial year under review. Of this amount, Sh18.35 million related to the accreditation of TVET institutions.
The audit warned that institutions with expired licences could continue operating without adhering to the required quality standards, while unlicensed or expired practitioners could compromise training and assessment.
STAFF SHORTFALL
The regulator is also grappling with a staffing shortage that could hamper its ability to enforce standards across the sector.
The authority had 62 employees against an approved establishment of 140, leaving a shortfall of 78 staff.
The accreditation department was particularly affected, with only four technical officers against an approved establishment of 18.
This represented a shortage of 14 officers, or 78 per cent of the department’s required technical staff.
The Auditor-General warned that the staffing gap was likely to impede service delivery, cause operational delays and expose the authority to reputational risks.
The report said the shortage could also leave existing employees overworked and less productive, affecting the authority’s ability to meet its operational targets.
The understaffing was among several issues raised in previous audits that remained unresolved as at June 30, 2025.
Other outstanding matters included long-standing receivables, budgetary control and performance, failure to surrender excess appropriation-in-aid and the absence of an approved risk management policy.
SH5M SOFTWARE
The audit also questioned the value for money obtained from an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system after finding that database access rights had not been handed over to the authority.
The authority spent Sh5.14 million on annual software and user licences for the system, but the ICT department could not demonstrate that the database access rights had been transferred as required under a service-level agreement signed with the system implementer on June 13, 2019.
The missing access rights exposed the authority to operational and security risks, including possible unauthorised alteration or deletion of data.
The auditor warned that the authority remained dependent on the vendor for routine administrative tasks and could face business continuity challenges if the relationship ended or a dispute arose.
The report questioned whether value for money had been achieved on the Sh5.14 million expenditure and found management in breach of the relevant contractual and legal requirements.
The audit also found that four officers had served in acting positions for more than six months, contrary to the Public Service Commission Act, which limits acting appointments to six months.
In addition, 42 employees earned monthly net salaries below one-third of their basic pay, contrary to public service human resource rules. Management had not justified the payments.
The authority had also failed to establish a policy for managing Sh22.24 million in receivables outstanding for more than one year, although provisions had been made for possible impairment.
The Auditor General said the effectiveness of the authority’s controls over the recovery of the debts could not be confirmed.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Despite the concerns over compliance, staffing and internal controls, the authority received an unmodified opinion on its financial statements, meaning the auditor found them fairly presented in all material respects. However, the report identified exceptions relating to the lawfulness and effectiveness of the use of public resources and the effectiveness of internal controls, risk management and governance.
