The Kenya Union of Technical and Vocational Education Trainers (KUTVET) has given the government four days to withdraw plans to move the payment and employment of technical trainers away from the Public Service Commission (PSC). If the plans stand, the union says it will call a strike from Wednesday 18 November 2026.
KUTVET Secretary General Kepher Oguwi announced the ultimatum at a press briefing in Nairobi on Wednesday 11 November 2026. The four days end on 15 November 2026.
What the union wants
KUTVET wants the government to withdraw all proposals that would move trainers’ payment and employment from the PSC to national polytechnic councils. It wants a multi-stakeholder consultation, involving KUTVET and the PSC, to develop a Scheme of Service for TVET trainers nationally.
Why the union objects
KUTVET says the dispute comes from three draft government documents prepared without adequate consultation with the union. Its objections are:
- Capacity: National polytechnics do not have the financial strength or institutional structures to manage trainers’ salaries and human resource matters.
- Security of tenure: Decentralising employment, which one of the drafts outlines, could expose trainers to inconsistent policies and insecurity of tenure.
- Sequence: Career guidelines and organisational structures are being introduced before a dedicated Scheme of Service for TVET trainers exists.
Oguwi said trainers ‘cannot allow’ payment by colleges instead of a structured government system. He warned that the plan could put learning and exam marking in all TVET centres in jeopardy, and said the union will ‘paralyse exam marking and all learning-related activities’ until the correct procedures are followed. He has also threatened legal and industrial action.
Who is affected
The union says the dispute affects about 10,000 to 12,000 public TVET trainers across Kenya.
Earlier industrial action
This is KUTVET’s latest ultimatum. In September 2026 the union issued a 21-day strike notice over exam administration, curricula, medical cover and transfers. It called off a planned strike in October after Ministry of Education and TVET-CDACC officials agreed to address its concerns.
Government position
As of 11 November 2026, the government had not responded publicly to the union’s demands or the strike threat.
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What to watch
The union says the strike starts on Wednesday 18 November 2026 unless the plans are withdrawn. TVET students and trainers should follow the Ministry of Education, the State Department for TVET and their institutions for any update.