A college at the heart of Pipeline Estate in Embakasi has come under scrutiny for offering unapproved courses to oblivious students.
The college, which is popular in the area, lured students into paying tuition for tens of courses which are not recognised by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA).
According to some of the disgruntled students, they were lured into the college, which had a string of high-demand courses in its itinerary, including mortuary science, theatre technology, and ICT.
These courses were being offered at fairly inexpensive rates, compelling clueless learners to enrol.
However, after completing the course, students were dealt a shocker after visiting the accrediting body, only to learn the college in question is licensed to offer a limited number of courses. Notably, none of the programs the students were studying were listed.
The college has only two licensed branches, according to TVETA, with one of the branches in Pipeline and the other at Bee Centre in Umoja Estate. Despite offering tens of programs, the college only has 14 accredited programs, according to reports.
Despite this fact, the institution has proceeded to offer unrecognised courses, which were pushed to potential clients through a college brochure advertising 37 programs. A majority of these courses were not recognised under the current licensing arrangement with TVETA.
One of the biggest red flags of the institution was the instructors, who students claim were mostly underqualified. In the event professionals were hired, they barely lasted one semester.
Further, examination transcripts have been a rarity at the institution, with many students from the school reporting a failure to receive their transcripts despite completing several semesters.
A section of the learners claim they tried to follow the matter up with the institution, only to be met with vague answers from the administration.
Amid the students' woes, TVETA has since launched a formal investigation into the college, which has confirmed that a number of the programs offered are not accredited. This includes crucial courses like nutrition and nursing.
In addition, the college is also on the spot for allegedly operating two new campuses using a single license, including a facility in Bahati, Nakuru County.
The scandal leaves graduates of the unlicensed courses in limbo, as they will almost certainly get their certificates rejected by employers, government bodies and other professional associations.
If investigations confirm the allegations against the institution, there could be some serious repercussions, including fines, deregistration and potential closure of all its branches.
