In the 2000s, liberal arts University graduates scrambled for a diploma certification from the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) as a gateway to employment in a competitively growing job market.

Lecture halls packed with students pursuing diplomas in business management and marketing, which were seen as a step toward middle management in corporate Kenya and a possible seat in the C-suite.

Fast forward to 2026, and the hitherto premier business school is facing its biggest threat to its existence after the regulator revoked its accreditation, shut down its campuses, and directed employers to shun its graduates.

Emperor Plaza in Nairobi that houses The Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) in a picture taken on April 20,2026.The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority has revoked the accreditation of the Institute and ordered the immediate closure of all its campuses across country.

Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group

At the heart of the quandary is a Monday notice from the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) declaring KIM’s certificates issued from 2018 as invalid, throwing 100,000 former students and 10,000 current learners into a spin.

For an institution that has existed since 1954 and built its brand on credibility, the declaration marks a dramatic reversal of fortunes.

According to TVETA Director-General Timothy Nyongesa, the crisis is rooted in a regulatory shift that began more than a decade ago.

“The law required all institutions that had been established under the repealed Education Act to seek accreditation within two years,” he says, referring to new provisions under the TVET Act of 2013.

But even that timeline, he says, was extended.

“The board, then, from 2015 was very realistic and said, we cannot start counting from 2013. Let’s start counting from 2015 and give them two years,” he explains.

TVETA Director-General Timothy Nyongesa.

Photo credit: Pool

“But an ordinary diploma duration is three years, so from 2015, whereas the law says two years, we said let’s give three years so that students who are in class can complete their diplomas. So that’s how the year 2018 comes in.”

From that point, KIM was expected to align its training, assessment and certification with approved awarding bodies.

Instead, the regulator says, the institution continued issuing what it termed “internal qualifications.”

“The first notice we gave to KIM was in 2021, telling them that what they are offering was internal qualifications, which was not good,” Mr Nyongesa notes.

Despite audits, follow-ups and meetings—including engagements as recent as 2025—the DG says the situation did not change.

Also read: 64 years invalidated: The dangerous overreach of TVETA at KIM

“So in August 2025, we called them for a meeting and our resolutions included… that they should actually get to do programmes that are approved,” says Nyongesa, adding that KIM had proposed working with accredited institutions, a plan that never materialised.

This failure to transition is what ultimately triggered enforcement.

While one of the critical questions has been why it took so long for the crackdown to happen, Mr Nyongesa insists the delay was not inaction, but a deliberate attempt to engage before enforcing.

“We have been doing our usual quality audits… we have tried, but something had to happen so that something can be made right,” he says.

The institution calls itself a nonprofit business school.

It offers seven diploma courses ranging from business management to human resources as well as purchasing and supplies for Sh126, 000. The college also offers eight certificate courses and 15 professional certifications.

KIM counts a number of top executives as its alumni.

The business school maintains that it has not been operating in defiance, but rather navigating a complex and evolving regulatory environment.

KIM's Chief Executive Director Muriithi Ndegwa says the institution has been in discussions with TVETA and other bodies over the years.

DNBusiness1203b(2)(2) — Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) Executive Director/CEO Muriithi Ndegwa makes his remarks during the launch of the Board Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Report 2024 at the Norfolk Hotel on March 12, 2025.

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation

“We have been in discussions with TVETA, not just because of this letter, but even in the past, and will continue to hold discussions with TVETA so that we can establish a way forward,” he said.

“In a grave matter like this, you’d expect that there would be some timeframe within which to discuss… for the benefit of the students,” he said.

Dr Ndegwa estimates the number of students who have passed through the KIM diploma and certificate programmes since 2018 to be in the region of about 100,000, adding that about 10,000 are currently enrolled.

For now, he insists, the institution remains operational in areas outside TVET, notably training and consultancies.

“We also do professional certifications. That is not within the purview of this letter, and so that remains open. We also do training and conferences, corporate training and conferences. Also, other flagship products like the company of the year awards and our monthly magazine called The Management,” he says.

“All those aspects are not within the purview of this letter. What this letter is very specific about is in respect to all TVET programs. And as I said, the door is not shut because we are still discussing the way forward.”

Hardline position

But perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the crisis is the uncertainty facing learners. TVETA has taken a hardline position, placing responsibility squarely on the institution.

“If you are a student in an institution, with whom do you have a contract? The institution. I don’t know what happens to the students. We are hoping that their appeal to the Cabinet Secretary will allow guidance on how to handle this,” Mr Nyongesa said.

Under the law, KIM has the option to appeal the decision of the TVETA board.

The development has sparked a wider debate about regulation and the evolution of professional training in Kenya, with University of Nairobi lecturer Muiru Ngugi arguing that the regulator’s move may have gone too far.

“TVETA appears to be using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito. It is unbelievable that an institution could award credible qualifications for 64 years, only for qualifications issued under the same mandate to be invalidated,” observes Ngugi.

Also read: He earned a US scholarship but poverty still threatens his dream

He, however, partly attributes KIM’s predicament to failure to legally adapt.

“KIM forgot to protect itself by lobbying for a new law to be passed approving its already legal work. KIM missed the boat on this one,” he says.

The fate of an estimated 10,000 ongoing students at the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) hangs in the balance after the sector regulator revoked the institution’s accreditation and directed affected learners to seek redress directly from the college.

The move has also thrown into doubt the validity of diplomas and certificates issued to more than 100,000 students who have graduated from the institution since 2018, after KIM failed to regularise its programmes despite prior notice.

TVETA said students entered into contractual agreements with the institution, making KIM solely accountable to them.

approved scope. The regulator raised concerns over the legitimacy of certificates issued under such circumstances.

Dr Ndegwa, however, sought to reassure students and alumni, saying the institution is engaging both the regulator and the Ministry of Education to resolve the matter.

“Everything is being done by KIM governance bodies, from the governing council to management, to ensure that this issue is resolved as soon as possible,” he said, adding that discussions with authorities were ongoing over the "unexpected" revocation.

“We were in active engagement with the regulator, which makes the decision surprising,” he said, adding that it was premature to discuss possible fee refunds for affected students.

“We are committed to ensuring that every student who has walked through our doors since 2028 receive the recognition they deserve,” he said.

Dr Ndegwa clarified that the institute will continue running its membership activities, professional certifications, corporate training, conferences, and publications, including its monthly Management magazine.

“KIM is a membership-based organisation, and our core functions in these areas remain intact,” he said, adding that flagship initiatives such as the Company of the Year Awards are also unaffected by the notice.

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