Private technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions have stepped up calls for equal access to government student financing, warning that excluding their learners from proposed funding programmes could undermine Kenya’s drive to equip young people with skills for employment and industrialisation.
The appeal was made in Kiambu Town on Monday during the launch of the Word of Faith Community College Strategic Plan 2026–2029, where education officials, private TVET leaders, trainers, students and industry stakeholders called for stronger collaboration between the Government and private institutions.
Speaking at the event, Kenya National Association of Private Colleges chairman Dr Ekrah Ndungu said the proposed TVET funding framework should treat students in accredited private colleges on the same footing as those in public institutions.
She said private TVET students are equally Kenyan and should not be denied access to government loans simply because they have chosen to train in privately owned institutions.
> “There is no private student and no public student. Every student is a Kenyan,” Dr Ndungu said, urging Parliament and the Ministry of Education to ensure the proposed funding law is inclusive.
She argued that the Government’s ambition of achieving universal transition from secondary school to tertiary education would remain difficult unless students were allowed to choose between public and private institutions while retaining access to financial support.
Dr Ndungu proposed that the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) establish an open platform listing accredited universities, public TVET institutions and private colleges, allowing Form Four leavers to make informed choices about where to pursue further education.
Students admitted to accredited private institutions should then be eligible for government loans under the proposed TVET funding framework, he said.
“This funding is a loan. It is not free money. Whether you get it in a public institution or a private institution, you will still pay it back,” she said.
Private TVET institutions also want the Government to develop a stronger public-private partnership framework that would allow private colleges to access underutilised equipment and facilities in public technical institutions.
Dr Ndungu said many public TVET institutions have modern equipment acquired through government and donor-funded programmes which is sometimes underutilised, while nearby private colleges struggle to provide students with adequate practical training facilities.
She proposed partnerships that would allow institutions to share equipment, expertise and trainers under formal agreements.
Such arrangements, he said, would improve the quality of graduates and ensure that Kenya produces technicians whose skills match the requirements of industry both locally and internationally.
She also challenged the country to reconsider the place of technical training in its development strategy, arguing that Kenya needs more skilled technicians and artisans if it is to achieve industrialisation and reduce unemployment.
According to her, countries that have successfully industrialised have invested heavily in TVET, and Kenya must similarly elevate technical skills as a central pillar of economic transformation.
“Skills are what the world is looking for. We need to produce graduates who can work here and compete globally,” he said.
The launch of the Word of Faith Community College strategic plan was described by the State Department for TVET as an important step towards strengthening institutional planning, accountability and skills development.
Director of TVET Planning Priscilla Mungai, who represented Principal Secretary Dr Esther Muoria, said a strategic plan provides institutions with a clear roadmap for translating their vision into measurable programmes and allocating resources effectively.
She said the four-year plan should help the college respond to changing labour-market demands while aligning its programmes with national development priorities.
“The strategic plan provides a clear roadmap for achieving institutional goals, strengthening accountability and guiding resource allocation,” Ms Mungai said.
She urged the college to focus on employability, entrepreneurship, innovation, productivity and inclusive access to quality technical education.
The Government, she said, recognises private TVET institutions as important partners in expanding access to skills development.
Ms Mungai challenged the college to continually improve the quality and relevance of its programmes through modern infrastructure, appropriate equipment, competent trainers, digital technologies and stronger links with industry.
The State Department also encouraged the institution to ensure that training remains practical and demand-driven so that graduates leave college with skills that employers and entrepreneurs need.
Word of Faith Community College founder and director Bishop Thomas Muthee said the institution’s new strategic plan seeks to reposition the college as a centre of skills, innovation, entrepreneurship and character development.
Established in 2008, the college was founded partly in response to the large number of young people who had dropped out of formal education in Kiambu and surrounding areas.
Bishop Muthee said the institution’s mission is to give young people practical skills that can enable them to secure employment or create businesses.
“We do not just want to produce job seekers. Our goal is to raise job creators, innovators and problem solvers for Kenya and beyond,” he said.
The 2026–2029 strategy focuses on strengthening academic excellence, increasing enrolment, accelerating digital transformation and expanding infrastructure.
The college also plans to deepen industry partnerships and improve its training environment as it responds to changing technology and labour-market requirements.
Bishop Muthee said technology would remain at the heart of the institution’s approach to training, arguing that Kenya’s future economic growth will increasingly depend on technical competence and innovation.
The college has appealed to the Ministry of Education to support it in several areas, including student placement through KUCCPS, access to student financing, infrastructure development and digital empowerment.
Bishop Muthee said the institution needs support to expand student hostels and establish a modern library and learning centre.
It also wants to develop a digital centre that can serve as a youth empowerment hub in Kiambu County, particularly by supporting digital skills and employment opportunities.
The college said stronger collaboration with Government, industry and other training institutions would help it deliver the objectives outlined in its new strategic plan.
“We want strong partnerships with the Government and strategic industry players. We also want other institutions to cooperate with us,” Bishop Muthee said.
Bishop Muthee cited the story of a former student as evidence of the transformative potential of technical training.
He recalled a young woman from Kiamunyeki who joined the college after barely completing primary education and trained in dressmaking and fashion design.
After completing her course, she returned to her community and eventually established a business that employs other people.
Another former student, he said, trained in a technical course at the college and later secured employment in Germany.
“These are the success stories that inspire us,” Bishop Muthee said.
He said the college was established not merely to offer certificates but to transform lives by equipping young people with practical skills, discipline, entrepreneurship and a sense of purpose.
The strategic plan also places emphasis on maintaining the college’s Christian identity alongside technical training.
Bishop Muthee said the institution wants graduates who are not only technically competent but also ethical, responsible and capable of contributing positively to society.
“We bring true education to both the hands and the heart,” he said.
The college intends to strengthen governance, improve programme quality, invest in trainers and ensure responsible management of its resources during implementation of the strategic plan.
The founder urged students to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the institution, acquire practical skills, embrace innovation and develop strong character.
For private TVET institutions, however, the launch also served as a platform to renew pressure on policymakers to address what they consider a longstanding imbalance in access to public support.
Dr Ndungu maintained that Kenya cannot achieve its employment and industrialisation ambitions while treating learners differently based on whether they train in public or private colleges.
He said closer collaboration between the two sectors would expand training capacity, improve access to modern equipment and create a larger pool of skilled workers for Kenya and the international labour market.
The debate places private TVET institutions at the centre of the country’s broader effort to make technical skills a key driver of economic growth, youth employment and industrial development.
