The Kenya School of TVET is once again under fire as fresh allegations of financial exploitation, mismanagement, and systemic negligence emerge, just months after a previous exposé revealed housing exploitation by staff.
Students are now accusing the institution of orchestrating a school fees fraud scheme that has left many of them locked out of exam preparations.
According to reports, an agent working closely with finance officers lured unsuspecting students to pay their fees through unofficial channels.
When an audit was conducted, the funds were found missing, never reaching the institution’s bank accounts.
As a result, affected students remain in limbo, with no fees reflecting on their academic portals despite presenting proof of payment.
Worse still, the administration has reportedly failed to take accountability for the lost funds.
The CEO Edwin Tarno is said to have dismissed students concerns with hostility, instructing them to report the matter elsewhere instead of initiating internal redress.
This dismissive attitude, paired with the lack of concrete action, has only deepened students’ frustration and heightened calls for intervention from the Ministry of Education and the Principal Secretary for TVET.
The grievances point to a pattern of exploitation as students allege that this is not an isolated incident but part of a broader institutional failure to prioritize learner welfare.
In a move that further alienated students, the school recently introduced a Ksh 1,500 fee increase without public consultation or involvement of student leadership.
With just two weeks remaining before national exams, students are left scrambling, not because of poor academic performance but because of administrative malpractice.
“Hi Cyprian Nyakundi. Thank you for always advocating for those whose voices cannot be heard. Kindly hide my identity. I wish to bring to your attention a matter here at Kenya School of TVET where the school has conned students out of their school fees. One of the agents at the administration, with the help of finance officers, collaborated to lure students to pay fees through an agent; later, the fees disappeared into thin air. When auditing was done, the money had never reached the bank. This matter has caused students to be in so much distress. The CEO, one Mr. Tarno, is very rude to students. The matter was reported to him but he told the students to report it to the nearest station. This is not the first batch of students affected, which clearly symbolizes that the school is in business. The school has been exploiting students; recently, they increased fees by Ksh 1,500 without public participation or involving student leaders. Exams are in two weeks, but students are running up and down because the fees can’t reflect on the portal. Before we occupy the Office of Finance and the CEO, kindly give this matter the attention it deserves. How do you interdict someone and still not return the fees to students? We engaged our student leaders but they referred the matter to the Dean’s office. Please, we beseech you to amplify this to the Ministry of Education, TVET Principal Secretary, and all media houses. This school is engaging in broad daylight robbery.”
This is not the first time the school has been accused of unethical conduct.
In a previous report, it was revealed that civil servants housed by the institution had turned free accommodation into a business, charging students for cramped lodging in rooms meant for staff.
Students Expose Housing Exploitation by Trainers at Kenya School of TVET
The continued recurrence of such practices suggests a rot that runs deep within the institution’s leadership structure.
Students are now demanding a full-scale probe into Kenya School of TVET, especially into its financial and administrative operations.
The calls are loud and clear that the Ministry of Education, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) must take swift and decisive action before the situation deteriorates further.
As confidence in the institution continues to erode, students and stakeholders insist that the institution cannot be allowed to operate like a rogue business enterprise under the guise of a public learning institution.
We will continue to shine a light on the corruption, mismanagement, and abuse plaguing institutions like Kenya School of TVET, and we will not relent until justice is served and student welfare is genuinely prioritized.
