TVET enrolment drops by 213,000 as funding crisis deepens

Education CS Julius Ogamba, Principal Secretaries Beatrice Iyangala and Dr Esther Muoria, before the National Assembly's Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education at Mini Chambers in Nairobi, on July 15, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

MPs have raised concern over what they described as a worrying decline in enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, warning that the government's push to make technical education the backbone of skills development could be under threat.

Appearing before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba was put to task over shrinking student numbers, funding shortfalls, stalled infrastructure projects, encroached land and governance challenges facing TVETs and public universities.

Documents submitted by the Ministry of Education to Parliament show enrolment in public TVET institutions has dropped by more than 213,000 trainees since peaking in 2022/23, raising fresh concerns over affordability, the impact of the student-centred funding model and access to technical education.

The figures show enrolment rose steadily from 60,667 trainees in 2018/19 to 332,485 in 2022/23, before falling to 303,343 in 2023/24, 257,085 in 2024/25 and further to 119,078 in 2025/26.

The Ministry attributed funding challenges to inadequate allocations from the National Treasury, saying while capitation has remained fixed at Sh5.2 billion, enrolment had grown significantly over the years before beginning to decline.

Similarly, scholarship funding under the Student-Centred Funding Model remains far below demand.

According to the ministry, scholarship applications have continued to increase, rising from 129,427 applicants in 2023/24 to 314,268 in 2025/26, but available funding has reached only a fraction of those seeking support.

Only 52,542 trainees received scholarships in 2023/24, increasing marginally to 57,709 in 2024/25 and 89,054 in 2025/26.

The ministry disclosed that cumulative scholarship funding shortfalls over the three years amount to nearly Sh15 billion, leaving hundreds of thousands of applicants without financial support.

It said delays in releasing funds are mainly caused by late exchequer releases from the National Treasury, while inadequate funding stems from budgetary constraints.

The lawmakers said some institutions that once enrolled hundreds of students are now operating with significantly fewer learners.

"We have a very big challenge. We have institutions which initially had about 800 students but now have around 300. Others have dropped from about 700 to nearly 200 students. When you ask the principals where the problem is, they point to competition. The trend is very worrying," Thaddeus Nzambia MP Kilome told the committee.

The legislators warned that the declining enrolment contradicts the government's policy of steering more learners towards technical training to equip them with practical skills.

Lawmakers also criticised delays in completing infrastructure projects despite funds having been allocated.

MPs further argued that a Sh28 billion financing gap continues to strain universities and TVETs.

The legislators argued that students were increasingly relying on Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans and National Government Constituencies Development Fund bursaries to pay tuition, particularly ahead of examinations.

"We need adequate funding for HELB so students do not have to depend on NG-CDF bursaries, which can only meet a small fraction of their needs," an MP said.

The committee also challenged the ministry to reduce dependence on the National Treasury by encouraging institutions to generate their own income.

Lawmakers proposed that TVETs commercialise their workshops by manufacturing products, develop software for sale, lease idle land, undertake consultancy work and partner with government programmes such as the Affordable Housing Programme.

"YuuExchequer funding alone will not solve these problems. Universities and TVETs should become proactive institutions. Some have vast tracts of land and workshops that can generate revenue instead of sitting idle," MP Daniel Kiili said.

Other concerns raised included the continued presence of asbestos roofing in teacher training colleges and TVET institutions, audit queries over unsupported equipment inventories, governance challenges in public universities and the slow recruitment of qualified trainers.

The legislators also sought clarity on whether admission to TVET institutions has been decentralised and asked the ministry to intensify public awareness on scholarships available to TVET students, saying many eligible learners stay at home because they assume the courses are unaffordable.

Responding to the concerns, Education CS Julius Ogamba acknowledged that funding remains the biggest challenge facing the education sector, saying the ministry continues to engage the National Treasury to secure additional resources for universities and TVET institutions.

The CS told the committee that the ministry is pursuing reforms to strengthen governance in institutions, address staffing shortages and resolve outstanding issues affecting trainers.

He said the government is also encouraging TVET institutions to diversify their revenue streams through income-generating activities while working to improve utilisation of training equipment and complete stalled projects.

On infrastructure, Ogamba said the ministry is following up on delayed projects and contractor performance, while discussions are ongoing to address asbestos removal and protect institutional land from encroachment.

He also said the government remains committed to expanding access to technical education through scholarships and student financing as it seeks to increase enrolment in TVET institutions.