Government to Solarize All TVET Institutions by June 2026
Nyandarua National Polytechnic was mentioned as a possible example of an institution that could collaborate with potato processor companies .
Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Mombasa, Kenya – There are plans by the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to solarize the 246 public TVET institutions by June 2026 in a partnership with the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) aimed at reducing the cost of running the institutions and making the learning environments low carbon.
While addressing participants at the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI) capacity development workshop and annual general meeting held at the Pride Inn Paradise Resort Mombasa, the principal secretary, Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria, considered the project “a major game-changer.”
“By June 2026, all TVET institutions will be solarized. This will bring about a great transformation in our institutions and will improve both training and community services,” said Dr. Muoria.
The solarization initiative, put into effect by the Memorandum of Understanding signed on December 11, 2025, will have implementation commence from December 15, 2025. As part of the strategy, half of the electricity bill of each of the institutions will go towards repaying loans to KCB, while the other half will go into savings until the solar investment is paid for.
Dr. Muoria explained that many institutions have underutilized equipment due to a lack of power. Kakrao Technical and Vocational College, for that matter, has a large milling machine that has remained underused due to a lack of enough power. The machine will be utilized for training as well as benefiting the community once it is solar powered.
The KCB partnership will also provide funding for the students, with a grace period of five years for the students to complete their learning, secure employment, and repay the loan. “We will work to increase government funding through public-private partnerships, ensuring no student will be locked out of TVET learning because of finances,” stated Dr. Muoria.
At the meeting, Dr. Muoria also highlighted the reforms adopted since the current administration came into office, which include curriculum change, Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), modularization, and industry links. She indicated her intention to invite industries to set up their own training facilities within TVET institutions for the benefit of trainees and the investing industry.
Nyandarua National Polytechnic was mentioned as a possible example of an institution that could collaborate with potato processor companies and would allow students to learn while earning money for the institution and its investors. The institution was located in an area where potatoes are widely grown.
Dr. Muoria related the transformation agenda in TVET to the development agenda envisioned by President William Ruto in the next ten years. “As TVET, we have the responsibility of providing skilled labor that will move the country to the next level of development,” Dr. Muoria explained. The solarization project is expected to improve productivity, the quality of training, and the resilience of the technical and vocational education and training sector in Kenya.
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