The State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has launched a nationwide plan to equip all 246 public TVET institutions with solar power by June 2026, through a partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).
This initiative is a key part of broader reforms aimed at cutting operational costs, ensuring stable power for workshops and digital labs, and building climate-resilient, low-carbon training environments.
Principal Secretary Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria announced the project during the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI) meeting in Mombasa, calling it a major turning point for the sector.
“By June of 2026, all TVET institutions will be solarized. This will be one of the major game changers in our institutions,” said Dr. Muoria.
The project, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding with KCB on December 11, 2025, begins implementation on December 15, 2025. Under the financing model, half of each institution’s current electricity costs will service the KCB loan, while the other half will be saved until the solar installation costs are fully covered.
The PS highlighted that reliable solar power will allow institutions to fully use training equipment previously idle due to power constraints. She gave the example of Kakrao Technical and Vocational College, which has a milling machine unable to operate because of insufficient power. The college has been prioritized for immediate solarization.
“That mill is not only going to be a training apparatus, but it is also going to help the community,” Dr. Muoria explained, noting the dual benefit of training and community service.
The partnership with KCB also includes student financing, offering learners up to five years after completing their studies to secure employment and repay loans.
“We want to boost government funding in our institutions through public-private partnerships… to ensure that access to our institutions is guaranteed,” the PS said, emphasizing innovative funding to prevent financial exclusion from TVET.
The meeting also reviewed key reforms of the last three years, including curriculum transformation, Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), modularization, and stronger industry links.
Dr. Muoria outlined plans to invite industries to invest directly in TVET institutions, creating in-house training facilities. She cited Nyandarua National Polytechnic, located in a potato-growing area, as a potential site for partnership with processors to use institutional equipment, farms, and expertise—generating income and practical experience.
“The students are training in agriculture… we dream that we will be able to produce the potatoes with the investor and be able to sell them,” she said.
The PS linked the TVET transformation to President William Ruto’s vision for national development, stating, “We in TVET are the producers of that skilled capacity… we must be at the forefront of training our young people well enough to drive this country to the next level.”