The Auditor-General has raised concerns over licensing gaps in Kenya’s technical and vocational education sector after an audit revealed that more than 800 registered training institutions and 2,400 trainers had expired licenses.
According to the Auditor-General’s report on the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) for the financial year ended June 30, 2025, 812 out of 2,120 registered institutions had expired licenses.
The figure represents 38 percent of all registered institutions reviewed during the audit conducted in November 2025.
At the same time, the report found that 2,424 trainers, representing 22 percent of the 10,893 trainers listed in the Authority’s register, had expired licenses.
The findings raise questions about TVETA’s ability to monitor training institutions and ensure that trainers and other professionals meet the required licensing standards.
Over 800 TVET Colleges, 2,400 Trainers Have Expired Licenses in Kenya
The Auditor-General warned that allowing trainers with expired licenses to remain active could expose the Authority to reputational risks because of its failure to regulate the sector effectively and enforce compliance.
The report further cautioned that institutions could end up offering substandard training and assessments if unlicensed practitioners or those with expired licenses continued working.
It also highlighted the risk of legal and regulatory exposure for allowing operations that contravene statutory and policy requirements.
“The expired licences pose risk of: exposure to reputational risk for failing to effectively regulate and enforce compliance within the sector; The institutions offering substandard training and assessment due to unlicensed or expired practitioners remaining active,” reads the audit.
According to the audit, institutions are responsible for ensuring that their trainers and other practitioners comply with licensing regulations.
The Auditor-General warned that allowing institutions with expired licenses to continue operating could undermine national TVET policies and strategic goals, particularly those aimed at maintaining quality standards in technical and vocational education.
The report cautioned that the licensing gaps could negatively affect the quality of service delivery across the sector.
Also Read: List of 32 Approved Public Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya and Their Locations
87 Institutions Await Accreditation Since 2014
In a separate finding, the Auditor-General identified weaknesses in TVETA’s accreditation procedures, particularly the Authority’s failure to establish effective mechanisms for following up on institutions awaiting accreditation.
The audit found that TVETA lacked a standardized follow-up system to monitor accreditation timelines or escalate cases where applicants failed to respond to the Authority’s requests.
It also established that response deadlines for institution applicants were neither clearly set nor properly communicated and enforced.
The report further revealed that the Authority’s Compliance and Enforcement Department issued compliance notices to applicants but failed to follow up or take further action.
This was demonstrated by the review of 87 registered institutions that had been awaiting accreditation since 2014.
The Auditor-General noted that the Authority’s failure to follow up on the applications breached the law.
Also Read: TVETA Appoints New Director General
The report cited Section 20(1), (2) and (3) of the TVET Act, 2013, which outlines the requirements for registering and licensing training institutions.
Under Section 20(1), the Board must enter an institution’s particulars in its register and issue a license to offer training once satisfied that the applicant has met the conditions for establishment.
Section 20(2) provides that where an application does not meet the required conditions, the Board may reject it or make recommendations and forward them to the applicant.
The law further provides under Section 20(3) that applicants whose applications have been returned with recommendations may submit revised applications within six months.
However, the audit found that TVETA had failed to establish effective follow-up procedures to ensure that accreditation applications were addressed within the prescribed legal framework.
“In the circumstances, Management was in breach of the law,” the Auditor-General stated.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for in-depth interviews.
