Members of Parliament have called for investigations into the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI) following concerns that it has been receiving funds from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions without clear accountability mechanisms.
The legislators, sitting in the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, want the association’s legal status, operations and management of public funds examined.
The concerns emerged after the Auditor General flagged the transfer of Sh894,800 by the Meru National Polytechnic to KATTI during the 2024/2025 financial year.
According to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu’s report, the institution transferred the funds without adequate assurance that KATTI had proper financial management and internal control systems as required under the Public Finance Management regulations.
“The management was in breach of the law,” reads the audit, noting that there was no assurance that KATTI was recognised within the Government of Kenya framework.
The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, raised questions over whether the association was properly registered and whether it should continue receiving money from public institutions without clear structures for accountability.
Appearing before the committee, Meru National Polytechnic Chief Principal Mutembei Kigege defended KATTI, describing it as a key stakeholder in the TVET sector.
“KATTI is the national umbrella body that brings together TVET institutions in Kenya, including national polytechnics, technical training institutes, vocational colleges and other middle-level training institutions,” Kigege said.
He said the association works closely with the Ministry of Education, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) in promoting competency-based education and training.
“Our programmes are usually approved by the Ministry of Education, State Department for Vocational Education, and our schedule of activities are approved by the ministry,” he told the committee.
Kigege compared KATTI to the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) and the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA), saying it provides coordination and consultation for TVET institutions.
However, MPs questioned the association’s legal standing and financial operations, saying public institutions should only transfer funds to bodies with clear accountability systems.
Maungu said the committee had a responsibility to establish how KATTI operates and how it manages funds received from TVET institutions.
“I think it is upon this committee to dig deeper because KATTI is a beneficiary of public funds. We may need to know where they are, how they operate and possibly have them audited because they are consumers of public funds,” he said.
Central Imenti MP Moses Kirima supported the move to summon KATTI officials before the committee, saying Parliament had the authority to question institutions that receive public money.
“We have the mandate and authority to summon institutions which receive public money from institutions of higher learning,” he said.
Kigege acknowledged that KATTI’s status had remained an audit concern in many TVET institutions for years but urged MPs not to disband the association.
“The initiative should not be to kill KATTI because it adds value and is highly consulted on matters affecting the running of TVET institutions,” he said.
“The spirit should actually be to see how to register it properly and have it fully operational because it serves us well.”
He also proposed that the government fast-track the establishment of a TVET Trainers Service Council, saying it would provide a more formal framework for coordination within the sector.
Lunga Lunga MP Mangale Munga said the Ministry of Education should also appear before the committee to explain its position on KATTI before members make a final determination.
Maungu further warned that KATTI could be controlling large amounts of money from TVET institutions across the country.
“If one institution can give Sh1 million, you can imagine the kind of money KATTI is controlling,” he said.
The committee said it will summon KATTI officials to explain the association’s operations, registration status and management of funds received from public learning institutions.
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