The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) has been officially declared financially insolvent by the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Administration, following revelations of a staggering Ksh.12 billion debt and years of unpaid salaries.
During a parliamentary session, lawmakers were shocked to learn that TUK staff, including lecturers, have not received full salaries since 2013 the year the institution attained full university status and was awarded a charter. TUK’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Benedict Mutua confirmed the long-standing salary crisis. “Since 2013, to tell the truth, no TUK employee has received a full salary,” he stated.
Mutua attributed the dire financial situation to over-employment. He revealed that while the government allocates Ksh.63 million monthly to the university, the wage bill stands at Ksh.270 million, making it impossible to meet payroll obligations. “Our biggest challenge is having too many staff,” he said.
In addition to salary arrears, the university has also failed to remit statutory deductions for years. Over Ksh.5 billion in pension contributions cannot be accounted for, putting employees’ retirement benefits in jeopardy. Former Deputy Vice Chancellor Francis Oduor admitted the university stopped remitting deductions shortly after receiving its charter. “I honestly can’t remember the last time we remitted deductions… to be honest, we haven’t paid any since the university became a fully chartered institution,” he said.
The committee, alarmed by the scale of financial mismanagement, has instructed government auditors to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of TUK’s financial operations within three months. It also plans to engage the Ministry of Education to develop a clear intervention plan to address the crisis.
The financial rot at TUK not only threatens the livelihoods of its employees but also risks disrupting academic activities and undermining the institution’s credibility. With billions in debt and a broken payroll system, urgent reforms are needed to salvage the university and restore confidence in public higher education institutions.
