The Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) has dismissed a notice by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) revoking its accreditation across the country and ordering closure of all its campuses.
The revocation was described by the management as a political move that caught them off guard in a phone call interview with Nation .
“Those are pure propaganda and we will officially address the matter before the end of the day,” said the management from the headquarters, adding that the top officials of the institution were already at the Ministry of Education seeking the solution.
This comes amid panic mode among the students, who have been making calls to seek answers and the fate of their certificate.
Later on, the institute’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Muriithi Ndegwa said in a clarification statement that it was addressing the matter with the relevant authorities, asking students and stakeholders to remain calm and rely on official communication channels for accurate updates.
“We wish to assure our stakeholders - students, alumni, partners, and the general public that we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness it deserves. KIM is currently reviewing the contents of the notice and actively engaging the relevant regulatory authorities to address the issues raised and determine the appropriate course of action in line with the law,” Dr Muriithi said.
In a closure notice dated April 20, TVETA said that the decision to close the institution was based on the academic and professional programmes that KIM has been awarding to members of the public without its accreditation.
“KIM was accredited to officer programmes assessed and certified by TVET-CDACC. It has been established that KIM has continued to officer programmes that are not approved and award academic qualifications in contravention of Section 17(3) of the TVET Act Cap 201A. To engage trainers without valid training licenses as required by Section 23(1) of the TVET Act Cap 201A,” the authority said in a statement on Monday.
It announced to the public that KIM does not have the legal mandate to award qualifications as well as any certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications obtained from the institution beyond 2018, saying that they will no longer be recognised for purposes of employment, further education, or professional advancement.
“Pursuant to Section 36 and 37 of the TVET Act the accreditation earlier issued to KIM and all its campuses in the Republic of Kenya has been revoked and all KIM campus closed with immediate effect. Members of the public are therefore advised to exercise caution while engaging with KIM and to verify the accreditation status of any institution before enrolling in any programme of study.”
KIM management said that it has been offering professional courses to thousands of Kenyans since 1954, and that its reputation is well known in the public.
During the visit to one of the institution’s branches in Nairobi Central Business District (CBD, panic ensued as students arrived to ask about the situation.
Phone calls from hundreds of students flooded in, all asking the same question; what would happen next after the revocation, and what would happen to those who had already secured employment opportunities?
“You will be addressed any moment from now. The only thing I can assure you is that you are all safe. TVETA did not authorise us to issue our certificates, we are given the mandate by the government. The management is going to address all the issues,” one of the admins said while answering the calls.
The institution has been offering several professional courses with focus in governance, leadership, financial management, human resources, productivity and quality, marketing and public relations as well as innovation and knowledge management, health safety and environment management among others.
It also offers certificate courses, diploma courses as well as professional certifications on full time, part time, regular as well as tailor made or customised basis.
