National TVET Census To Guide Funding, Infrastructure And Skills Planning

By Jane Kanairo

The government has launched a nationwide census targeting technical and vocational institutions in a far-reaching effort to establish a verified national database of accredited training centers, trainers and infrastructure.

The exercise comes amid increased focus on accountability, digitization and quality assurance in vocational education, with officials saying the data will help eliminate inconsistencies in institutional records and improve planning.

The census, jointly coordinated by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), will cover all 47 counties and target both public and private institutions offering technical, vocational and specialized skills training nationwide.

Officials said the exercise seeks to establish an accurate, geo-referenced master database detailing enrolment, staffing, infrastructure, digital readiness and institutional capacity, enabling government agencies to align training programmes with labor market demands and future economic priorities.

The Director General of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Dr Macdonald Obudho said the government had never conducted a comprehensive census focused exclusively on technical and vocational institutions since independence, making the exercise a significant national milestone.

“This exercise would mean that we are going to cover all the TVET institutions countrywide. We want to know the enrolment numbers, staffing levels, infrastructure and whether institutions are equipped to provide skills directly linked to the job market,” Dr. Obudho said.

The nationwide exercise follows earlier pilot studies conducted in Nairobi, Uasin Gishu and Kitui counties, where officials tested and refined data collection tools before approving the final rollout framework expected to guide field operations during the census period.

According to KNBS, 150 research assistants supervised by 41 supervisors will undertake the fieldwork beginning May 20, with operations expected to continue for approximately 40 days, although weather conditions could slightly affect completion timelines in some regions.

The census will capture information from National Polytechnics, Technical and Vocational Colleges, Vocational Training Centres, Kenya Medical Training Colleges, Teacher Training Colleges and registered commercial driving schools regulated under existing government accreditation frameworks.

The findings would help government agencies determine institutional distribution, infrastructure gaps and equipment shortages while improving future allocation of training resources, capitation funding and digital learning support across the technical education sector nationwide.

The Regional Director for TVET in Nakuru and Baringo counties, Rosemary Kimani said the exercise would support planning around infrastructure, inclusivity and implementation of the Competency-Based Education and Training curriculum currently being rolled out in institutions nationally.

“This data is going to give us the direction in which to take so that we are able to offer quality training. We require a lot of equipment and resources because the new curriculum focuses more on practical skills,” Kimani said.

Government agencies involved in the exercise include the State Department for TVET, the State Department for Higher Education, the Ministry of Basic Education, KNBS and TVETA, alongside private sector stakeholders participating in the implementation process nationally.

Authorities said institutional heads would also participate in targeted sensitization sessions and verification processes to ensure school registration details correspond with records contained in the official TVETA accreditation registry and other government databases.

The government further plans biometric verification of trainers and staff attached to participating institutions as part of wider efforts aimed at eliminating irregularities, strengthening accountability systems and improving integrity within the technical and vocational training sector nationally.

The Kenya National Private Colleges Association (KENAPCO) representative Kirui Barnabas, said private institutions were prepared to support the exercise by facilitating data access and encouraging member colleges to cooperate fully with government teams conducting the census.

“So we are here to provide all those requirements and disseminate the same information to other private colleges. Basically we are here to support the KNBS during this exercise,” he said.