Kenyan MPs propose law to enforce TVET audit compliance

On October 9, 2025, Wanami Wamboka, Chairperson of Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education tabled a bold bill aimed at tightening the reins on how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions act on audit recommendations. The move follows a two‑day fact‑finding tour that exposed glaring gaps in financial stewardship across six colleges in Kenya’s Rift Valley and North‑Eastern regions.

Why the committee stepped in

Earlier that week, the committee visited six campuses – Sikri Technical and Vocational College in Emgwen, Aldai Technical Training College, Mosoriot Teachers Training College, Tambach Teachers Training College, Emgwen Teachers Training College, and Kapcherop Technical & Vocational College. The purpose? To see whether audit reports, which are supposed to be the backbone of public‑fund accountability, were being turned into action plans or just filed away.

During the October 8 session at Sikri, the principal, Evans Oyoo, appeared bewildered when asked about the college’s procurement records. "The Committee finds you incompetent and clueless," Wamboka warned, echoing a sentiment that reverberated through the hearing rooms: repeated red‑ink on balance sheets should not be tolerated.

Key audit failures uncovered

The committee’s report listed a string of infractions that read like a checklist of what not to do. At Ollessos National Polytechnic, principal Wesley Yegon was flagged for ignoring the mandated one‑third gender quota in staff appointments. In the same audit, the college’s annual procurement plan showed missing approvals, and the institution failed to register its trainers with the TVET Training Authority.

Financial losses were equally stark. Catering operations at the polytechnic posted a Ksh 21,800,000 shortfall, while the on‑site farm recorded a Ksh 743,687 deficit for the 2023/24 fiscal year. Over in Laisamis Technical Training Institute, principal Charles K. Rotich could not produce ownership documents for two parcels of land donated by the community, nor an up‑to‑date asset register. The institute also failed to submit its audited financial statements on time, leaving 37% of its budget unspent – a red flag that sparked an angry rebuke from Mark Mwenje, Embakasi West MP, who asked, "How do you spend public money without any accountability?"

The legislative remedy on the table

Wamboka’s proposed legislation would embed three core mechanisms:

1. A statutory duty for heads of TVET institutions to act on audit recommendations within 90 days, with automatic suspension if they fail to comply after two warnings.
2. Mandatory public disclosure of audit findings on each institution’s website, allowing civil society and prospective students to monitor compliance.
3. Creation of a specialised TVET Audit Oversight Unit within the Auditor‑General’s office, tasked with providing real‑time guidance and follow‑up visits.

The draft references the earlier Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Amendment) Bill, 2025 – introduced on March 5, 2025 – but pushes further by targeting the people who ignore the recommendations, not just the institutions themselves.

Voices from the chamber

Anthony Kibagendi, Kitutu Chache North MP, urged the Auditor‑General’s office to “indulge” young colleges with clearer procedural hand‑books, arguing that “guidance, not punishment, will break the cycle of non‑compliance.”

Meanwhile, Narok MP Rebecca Tonkei highlighted a legislative blind spot: existing statutes like the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act lack explicit provisions for repeated administrative lapses. "We need a law that says ‘enough is enough,’" she said.

Why this matters for Kenya’s Vision 2030

The TVET sector is a cornerstone of Kenya’s Vision 2030, which aims to boost enrolment from 495 to 1,401 per 100,000 people by 2027. Yet the TVET Sub‑Sector Report 2024‑2027 warned that stigma, under‑funding, and a shortage of qualified trainers keep enrollment numbers stagnant.

By tightening audit follow‑up, the proposed bill could restore confidence among donors – the Kenya/China Project Phase II, which recently equipped 144 TVET schools with modern tools, is already on standby for further rollout. If institutions can demonstrate sound financial management, they’re more likely to attract private‑sector partnerships, an essential ingredient for the skills‑training pipeline outlined in the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (2023‑2027).

What the Auditor‑General says

Earlier, Nancy Gathungu, Kenya’s Auditor‑General, lamented that only 21% of audit recommendations had been acted upon as of October 2024. "The majority of public entities are ignoring the very safeguards meant to protect taxpayer money," she warned at the launch of the Eastern Regional Offices in Embu County.

Her assessment gave the committee the data‑driven backing it needed to move from recommendations to enforceable law.

Next steps on the legislative track

The bill now heads to the Parliamentary Directorate of Legal Services for drafting, with an expected first reading in the National Assembly slated for early December 2025. If passed, the law would come into force six months after presidential assent, giving institutions a clear deadline to align their internal audit functions.

In parallel, Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo has been summoned by the Special Funds Accounts Committee for a November 4 hearing after missing 16 consecutive summonses on audit queries dating back to the 2017/18 fiscal year. His testimony could shape how the Treasury supports the new oversight unit.

Broader ripple effects

If successful, Kenya could become a regional model for accountability in vocational training – a sector that many East African neighbours are scrambling to professionalise. The law might also prompt a review of audit compliance across other public‑service domains, from health to infrastructure, creating a cascade of tighter fiscal stewardship.

For students and parents, the promise is simple: transparent institutions mean better‑equipped classrooms, reliable apprenticeship pipelines, and, ultimately, jobs that match the skills Kenya needs to stay competitive in the global market.