KIM Students Can Breathe Again After This Major Government Announcement
A cloud of confusion had started to swirl around thousands of graduates from the Kenya Institute of Management – & after it did, the Govt sprang into action, sending a firm message that’d calm the nation right down.
In a National Assembly of Kenya speech, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogaba addressed growing anger over the validity of KIM certificates issued after 2018. His message was pretty clear: dont worry – they’re still good to go.
But how did things get to this pass ?
TVETA Warning Sparks Anxiety
Things started to get messy after the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA)dropped a bombshell.
First off, the regulator warned the public not to pay any attention to KIM for training or to even pay them any money, & said that the whole thing was a mess because the main man in charge at KIM didn’t have the right paperwork. Then it made things alot worse by saying that any certificates KIM issued after 2018 just wouldn’t cut the mustard – & wouldnt be any good for anything, not even a career boost or further education.
That warning sent shockwaves through the community . Lots of students, even some who’d already got a job were left wondering if all their hard work was for nothing.
Ogamba Moves to Reassure Graduates
It was April 22 and Ogamba was under pressure to speak up, so he did.
“I want to make one thing very clear,” he said. “As far as KIM itself and those certificates students got from 2018 and while it was still operating under a legal order – those certificates are okay.”
He acknowledged things were a bit of a mess but told lawmakers not to worry, a full report from the government is on its way soon.
Government Promises Protection for Affected Individuals
It’s not just empty promises, the government is actually doing something to stop things from going from bad to worse for the people caught up in this mess.
Theyre taking a hard look at the situation to make sure nobody gets left out of a job or public service because of some regulatory issue. The Education CS says the focus is on looking after those who studied under what he calls a framework that was recognised as legal at the time.
“We’re not dealing with an appeal about what’s past and gone,” the CS said. “We’re dealing with the stuff that’s about to go down – making sure people who studied under KIM and got a certificate that’s legitimate, don’t get shafted because of some bureaucratic nonsense. We’re going to take care of that and issue a full statement in two days, so people know where they stand.” And at the same time they’re getting tough on compliance in Kenya’s TVET sector. This sector was set up back in 2013 and got going in 2015.
Court Intervenes, Halts KIM Shutdown
Just as things were heating up, the courts kind of stepped in to calm things down a bit.
Out at the Milimani Law Courts, Judge William Musyoka slapped out an interim order stopping TVETA from kicking KIM off the accreditation list and closing all its branches down – for now.
The judge took the whole thing pretty seriously and effectively gave KIM a way to challenge the decision, so a fight over this can now go ahead. He also set a mention date of April 29 to sort things out – and TVETA’s got to file a proper application within the next week.
For thousands of students and families caught right in the middle, this ruling brings some much needed temporary breathing space.
What This Means Going Forward
As the whole thing works its way through the courts and all that, one thing’s become pretty clear – the government’s trying to find some kind of balance.
On one hand, it wants to make sure these training places are properly regulated. On the other, it’s keen not to unfairly punish those students who did the right thing.
For a lot of graduates, the words coming out of Ogamba’s mouth might be a welcome sign that their qualifications – and their futures – are still up for grabs.
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KIM Students Can Breathe Again After This Major Government Announcement
