Kenyan technical college lecturers call off planned strike — Nation Kenya
In Kenya, lecturers at technical and vocational colleges have called off a planned nationwide strike after the Ministry of Education and the Competency Based Education and Training Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) agreed to consider their demands. This made it possible to avoid disruption to studies at technical and vocational education institutions.
As Nation Kenya reports, the KUTVET union of technical and vocational education lecturers had threatened to withdraw 10,000 of its members from work. Its grievances include exam security, working conditions, the failure to deduct and remit union dues, unfair labour practices and transfers of employees that the union considers arbitrary.
Agreement with the ministry
KUTVET Secretary-General Kepher Ogwii said the union called off the strike after Ministry of Education and CDACC officials agreed to address the issues raised. According to him, the ministry requested 15 days to submit its memorandum to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection through labour mediator Charles Muniko. The union agreed to this timeframe.
The parties plan to continue negotiations on unresolved issues. They also agreed to immediately process Form S, a document used in matters of union membership. Before this, KUTVET issued a 21-day strike notice after consultations, correspondence and the submission of memorandums failed.
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Concerns over exams and programmes
One of KUTVET's main grievances concerns the procedure for examinations organised by CDACC. Ogwii accused the council of sending examination materials to colleges by email instead of printing and delivering them. In the union's view, this creates risks to the security of assessments and causes delays at some institutions.
The union also supports reforms aimed at improving the quality and relevance of technical education, but believes that the modular format of competency-based education and training (CBET) programmes is being introduced hastily and without sufficient consultation with lecturers. In its memorandum, the union pointed to a lack of resources at some institutions, difficulties in organising teaching and assessment, workload allocation, scheduling and teaching materials.
Kenya's parliament previously released data showing that the state had planned to fund scholarships for 440,826 technical and vocational education trainees in the financial year ending in June 2026, but only 89,054 people received the funds.
