The national examination body has announced plans to scrap 70 courses offered by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, which it said are outdated.
In a circular dated May 5, 2025, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) said some of the courses will be modified.
In the circular addressed to Regional and County TVET Directors, heads of institutions, and Sub-County Directors of Education, KNEC CEO David Njengere warned institutions still offering outdated business and technical courses, saying such programs will no longer be supported after November 2025.
"The Council has allowed ample time for the institutions to transition to modern, modular curricula developed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)," Njengere said.
The circular came as it emerged some of the institution heads were registering candidates under hidden schemes despite an earlier directive for a pause.
''KNEC wishes to notify the institutions still offering the expired courses that examinations for the phased-out courses will be offered for the last time in November 2025, as shown in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2. There will be no registration of candidates for these courses after November 2025,'' Njengere's circular said.
"Phased-out Modular courses will be discontinued progressively between November 2025 and November 2027 as shown in Appendix 3. There will be no registration of candidates for these Modular courses after November 2027.''
Some of the courses targeted include the Craft Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (Production Option), Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (Fabrication Technology & Metallurgy Option), Automotive Engineering, Welding & Fabrication, Electrical Installation, and Electronics Instruments & Fault Diagnosis.
Others are Diploma in Telecommunication Engineering, Diploma in Applied Biology, Craft Certificate in Science Laboratory Technology, Diploma in Food Science & Technology, Diploma in Secretarial Studies, and Higher Diploma in Marketing.
According to KNEC, some of these courses will be replaced under the revised curriculum, while others will be completely phased out. The council further revealed that certain programs were scrapped after failing to attract candidates.
However, KNEC clarified that it has been offering candidates with referrals in the phased-out courses opportunities to register and sit the affected papers. However, some institutions have often used this as a loophole to register fresh candidates in the expired courses for unknown reasons.
Some of the modular business courses offered by institutions under the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) are set to be discontinued in phases. Among the affected programs is the Craft Certificate in Human Resource Management (Code 1908), which will be replaced by a new curriculum (Code 1926). The last intake for Module 1 will be in November 2025, followed by Module 2 in November 2026.
Similarly, the Diploma in Human Resource Management (Code 2908) will be replaced by Code 2926, with the final series for Modules 1, 2, and 3 scheduled for November 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively. The Diploma in International Freight Management (Code 2815) will also be phased out and replaced by Code 2925, with the last cohorts running through the same period.
These changes are part of KNEC’s efforts to align training with industry needs and eliminate low-demand programs.
