By Our Education Correspondent

A draft law now before Kenya’s Parliament proposes to establish a dedicated Technical and Vocational Trainers Service Council (TVTSC), a new body to manage the affairs of trainers in technical and vocational institutions. TVTSC Bill, 2025 is being advanced in Parliament with strong backing from both sector stakeholders and legislators. According to reporting, the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI) is the primary proposer and driver of the Bill, having developed and forwarded the draft legislation to Parliament for consideration. KATTI’s leadership, including its former Chairperson Dr. David Maina Mwangi, has been actively presenting the policy rationale to the National Assembly’s Education Committee to justify the need for a specialized trainers’ council. In parliamentary stakeholder engagements, representatives from KATTI and the State Department for TVET have led discussions on the Bill’s objectives.

The TVTSC Bill, 2025 is modelled on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and aims to ring-fence recruitment, deployment, discipline, welfare, and continuous professional development of vocational and technical trainers. Proponents hail the move as a long-overdue step to professionalize and streamline the management of trainers in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, while skeptics warn of potential overlaps and bureaucratic hurdles. tvetlibrary.co.ke, have analyze the proposed council’s powers and structure, compare it with existing bodies like TSC and the TVET Authority (TVETA), and weigh its expected benefits against the challenges it may pose.

Structure and Powers of the Proposed Trainers Council

Under the Bill, the Technical and Vocational Trainers Service Council would be established as a corporate body with perpetual succession. It would have a nine-member Council at its helm, comprising a Chairperson and eight members. Notably, the Principal Secretaries responsible for TVET and Finance, as well as the CEO of the Council of Governors, would sit on the Council alongside five experts drawn from fields such as TVET, finance, law, management, and special needs education.

The Chair and independent members are to be appointed through a competitive process led by a selection panel, ensuring a mix of expertise and adherence to integrity standards under Chapter Six of the Constitution. A Chief Executive Officer will head the Council’s secretariat and oversee day-to-day administration, appointed on a five-year term through a merit-based recruitment process.

The mandate of the TVTSC is expansive. It is explicitly tasked with the employment, human resource management, and development of all trainers serving in public TVET institutions. In practice, this means the Council will formulate policies for trainer management, recruit and appoint trainers, maintain a national register of vocational and technical trainers, and deploy, promote, and transfer trainers across public technical institutions.

The Council may establish or abolish offices in the training service and appoint trainers to administrative posts such as principals or departmental heads. It will also manage the payroll of trainers under its employment and ensure compliance with prescribed training standards aligned to the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) framework. Crucially, the Council is charged with promoting and facilitating continuous professional development to ensure trainers’ skills remain current. Disciplinary control will also fall under the Council’s authority, including powers to warn, suspend, or remove trainers for misconduct or poor performance in accordance with established regulations.

In essence, the TVTSC would function as a one-stop human resource agency for TVET trainers handling everything from recruitment and deployment to professional standards and discipline.

How Does TVTSC Differ from TSC and TVETA?

The proposal inevitably draws comparisons to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the constitutional body that manages recruitment and regulation of teachers in primary and secondary education. Like TSC, the proposed Council would be an independent agency focused on teacher management registering qualified personnel, posting them to institutions, and upholding professional standards.

However, key differences exist. TSC is a constitutional commission with entrenched independence, while the TVTSC would be established through an Act of Parliament and include government officials within its governing structure, signaling closer executive integration. TSC’s mandate covers basic education, whereas TVTSC would focus solely on TVET trainers a specialized group whose work emphasizes practical, skills-based instruction in technical colleges and national polytechnics. Stakeholders have argued that reverting TVET trainers to TSC would be a step backwards, given the fast-evolving nature of technical training that requires more agile management frameworks.

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), by contrast, is a regulatory body established under the TVET Act of 2013. Its primary role is to oversee quality and standards in the TVET sector, including accreditation of institutions and licensing of trainers. Under existing law, TVET trainers must be registered and licensed, ensuring they possess appropriate academic and pedagogical qualifications before teaching.

The proposed TVTSC would not replace TVETA’s quality assurance role. Instead, it would take over the employment and human resource management of trainers, while registration by the Council would be conducted in accordance with standards set by the relevant regulators. In effect, TVETA would continue setting standards, while TVTSC would manage personnel an arrangement intended to avoid duplication but one that will require close coordination.

A Boost for Trainers: Independence and Professional Growth

For Kenya’s technical trainers currently numbering over 6,000 the establishment of a dedicated service council promises several advantages. Chief among them is independence and institutional focus. Presently, most public TVET trainers fall under the Public Service Commission, a system critics describe as slow, bureaucratic, and ill-suited to the dynamic needs of skills-based education.

By transferring trainers to a specialized Council, the Bill seeks to reduce red tape and create a harmonized scheme of service tailored to technical trainers. This approach was recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms as a means of streamlining management and professional recognition within the sector.

The Council would also enhance administrative clarity and accountability. A single body responsible for deployment, promotion, and discipline could reduce arbitrary appointments and improve transparency. Its advisory role to both national and county governments may further resolve long-standing ambiguities in TVET governance structures.

Continuous professional development is another major gain. By embedding CPD as a core function, the Council would support trainers in upgrading skills, adopting new technologies, and aligning training with industry needs. Improved trainer welfare, clearer career progression, and stronger representation in policy discussions are expected outcomes. The Kenya Union of TVET Trainers has endorsed the proposal, viewing it as a pathway to autonomy and professional recognition.

Concerns and Potential Challenges

Despite broad support, concerns remain. Lawmakers have questioned whether the new Council could create bureaucratic overlap or encroach on existing mandates. Some argue that similar objectives could be achieved by returning TVET trainers to TSC rather than establishing a new institution. Others caution that the Council must clearly define its scope, especially in relation to county governments that manage village polytechnics as a devolved function.

Funding is another critical issue. Questions have been raised about who will pay trainers employed under devolved units and how the Council’s operations will be financed. Without clear boundaries and intergovernmental agreements, disputes could arise.

There are also concerns about regulatory rigidity. While standardization improves quality, excessive requirements could discourage industry experts from participating as trainers. Lessons from TSC’s experience with transfers and appraisal systems highlight the need for collaborative implementation of CPD and disciplinary processes to avoid conflict with unions. Finally, the transition of trainers from current employers to the new Council presents logistical and legal challenges. Safeguarding salaries, pensions, and seniority will be essential to maintain trust and morale during implementation.

Balancing Reform with Clarity

The TVTSC Bill, 2025 represents a bold attempt to reform governance of Kenya’s TVET workforce. By providing trainers with a dedicated, empowered institution, the Bill aims to modernize management, enhance professionalism, and improve training outcomes. Its success, however, will depend on careful implementation clear division of roles, sustainable funding, and effective collaboration with existing bodies. If these conditions are met, the Council could significantly strengthen Kenya’s technical and vocational education system, benefiting trainers, learners, and the broader economy alike.