Panic as dozens of private colleges now face closure

Thousands of students enrolled at mid-level colleges in Mombasa were sent into panic following reports that most of institutions are not registered.

It also emerged that the colleges have been offering internal diplomas not recognised by the Technical and Vocation Education Training Authority (TVETA).

Subsequently, the authority plans to start a countrywide crackdown starting next month.

The authority’s Director General Dr Kipkurui Langat said they are concerned about the high number of unregistered middle level colleges and from next month will start a national wide crackdown. The exercise will start in Nairobi and Eldoret before they move to Mombasa in November.

“No institution should offer any education and training services without prior inspection and registration. The public has been advised to visit TVETA website to see the accredited colleges,” said the authority’s Director General Dr Kipkurui Langat.

He said all TVETA-registered institutions must comply with the law in order to produce competent skilled workforce.

Records show that there are 109 privately-owned colleges in Mombasa offering courses in technical fields, hospitality, accounting, maritime and aviation courses and most of them are not recognised by the authority even though they admit students year after year. Subsequently, the certificates and diplomas they award are not recognised by the Government.

Now the training authority says only 12 colleges in Mombasa  have complied with its regulations and are licensed to teach courses leading to award of certificates in these field. TVET says no private college is authorised to award internal diplomas.

Over the years, private colleges have mushroomed in Mombasa with some operating from residential areas and shopping centres along the central business district.

Others are housed in dilapidated buildings with no proper ablutions facilities.

According to a public notice from the regulator, the few credited colleges include  Mombasa College of Tourism and Business Management, Mombasa Aviation Training Institute and Vision Institute of Professional.

Meanwhile, as a form of redress, the regulator has advised parents to move to court and sue the fake colleges that has been fleecing them.

However, officials of registered colleges blame TVETA for not creating awareness on the dubious colleges through Kenya Association of Manufactures and Kenya Chamber of Commerce.

Thousands of students enroll in middle level colleges most of which are privately-owned, owing to unlimited space in universities and government technical colleges.

According to official statistics, in 2016 some 525,802 candidates sat Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education but available university slots stood at 67,790.

This means more than 458,000 students were forced to seek admission in mid-level colleges.

Since 2011, the government has not carried out raids to weed out bogus mid-level colleges in Mombasa which compete for students with registered institutions.

“These unregistered colleges are offering internal diploma certificates. They are duping unsuspecting parents and students because those certificates issued are neither used for employment nor academic progression,” said Ahmed Salim a TVETA tutor in Mombasa.

Investigations by The Standard on Sunday in Mombasa reveal that unregistered colleges lure students into their colleges by all means.

“They pay tutors Sh1,000 for each student they poach from registered institutions. This has affected the operations of registered institutions and many are even contemplating closing down,” said Salim.

The government established TVETA in 2013 to regulate and crackdown on illegal colleges.