Tuition fees at Kenya's TVET institutions have nearly doubled under the modular curriculum launched in May 2025, sparking conflicts between students and the government. The Education Ministry disputes these claims, stating fees were set through stakeholder consultations and the new system has not increased costs. Students argue the hikes prevent course completion and access to essential skills.
A growing standoff has emerged over the cost of training in Kenya's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, highlighting sharp divisions between students, tutors, and the government. The increase follows a recent revision of fees in technical colleges.
Kenya Union of Technical and Vocational Education Trainees (KUTVET) chairman Geoffrey Obuoyela said tuition under the modular curriculum introduced in May 2025 has almost doubled from about KSh 56,000 to KSh 105,000 per year, excluding accommodation, examination fees, tools, and learning materials. In some courses, the total annual cost has climbed to as much as KSh 400,000. They argued that the sharp rise threatens course completion and locks out thousands of students from acquiring technical skills essential for economic advancement.
The Ministry of Education, through Public Secretary for TVET Dr Esther Thaara Muoria, has disputed these arguments, maintaining that fees were set through stakeholder consultations and that the modular system has not raised training costs. She stated that the government approved a standard charge of KSh 35,000 per module across all courses, dismissing assertions of excessive or unchecked fee increases.
"A level four will therefore be 70,000, for the two modules so you can see, you can compare that 35,000 with the former highest, which was, call it 50,000. The second one, which is level four, the highest was 121,181. And you can compare it with 70,000," she stated.
She further defended the modular system for its flexibility and how it saves time while producing qualified people ready for the job market. "A young person comes to school and is in the workshops and the laboratories for three months. By the time that young person is out of training in three months, they have employable skills," she added.
The shift to a modular TVET curriculum in Kenya was designed to address longstanding gaps in the traditional education model, which often left graduates with theoretical knowledge but few practical skills. By emphasizing hands-on, industry-relevant training, the new system aims to reduce skill mismatches and unemployment, shorten rigid multi-year programs into flexible 3–6 month modules, and formally recognize prior informal skills through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
The modular approach is also seen as reducing financial strain by enabling students to study in phases, work, and later resume their training, while programmes such as Skilling for Peace offer pathways that steer young people away from crime through skills development. For government reservists, the modular system offers flexibility to pause and resume training without losing progress and professionalises security roles through specialised courses such as Level 6 Security Management, ensuring learners acquire both practical skills and recognised credentials.
