Panic at Taita Taveta National Polytechnic as MPs Ordered to Probe Principal Over Financial Rot, Collapsed Management and Ghost Enrollment

Panic has gripped Taita Taveta National Polytechnic after stakeholders petitioned the National Assembly to investigate allegations of leadership failure, financial mismanagement, declining student enrollment, and questionable staffing practices at the institution.

The petition, received on May 14, 2026, by the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly and forwarded to the Public Investments Committee on Education, raises serious concerns about the management of the institution led by Principal Show Kalama.

According to the petitioners, the institution is facing deep structural and administrative challenges, describing its leadership as a “collapsed administrative wing disguised as management,” and alleging that governance failures have severely undermined operations.

The document further claims that the institution, which was elevated to national polytechnic status under Legal Notice No. 6 of 2024, is struggling to stabilize despite its upgraded status.

Stakeholders argue that student enrollment has sharply declined, with the institution reportedly hosting about 3,000 active students against an infrastructure capacity of more than 10,000 learners. This mismatch, they say, points to a lack of strategic planning and weak institutional management.

The petition also raises concerns over alleged financial mismanagement, particularly in the handling of tuition fees and training budgets. Students are reportedly facing shortages of essential learning materials, deteriorating infrastructure, and inadequate training resources, despite continued funding allocations.

In addition, the stakeholders highlight alleged irregularities in staffing patterns, including claims of imbalance in employment structures and possible non-compliance with regional diversity and inclusion requirements.

The concerns have now been escalated to Parliament, where lawmakers are expected to determine whether an investigation into the institution’s governance and financial operations should be launched.

The allegations have sparked unease within the institution’s academic community, with stakeholders warning that continued administrative challenges could further undermine the polytechnic’s mandate as a key technical training centre in the region.

Parliamentary committee deliberations are expected to determine the next course of action regarding oversight and possible audit of the institution’s operations.