Blog – Nyamboyo Technical School

Yes, You Can Teach Old-ish Dogs New Tricks!

By NTS staff

Every September, without fail, our teachers faced the same mountain. Curriculum.

A new school year meant rebuilding their curriculum from scratch. Which topics needed to be covered for the NITA national exam? In what order? Over how many weeks? Where was that worksheet from last year — the good one, the one that actually worked? Was it in that folder? That notebook? Did it even get written down?

Our teachers are skilled professionals and deeply committed to their students. But NTS, like most vocational schools in rural Kenya, had no formal curriculum. Teachers organized their lessons around the NITA requirements for the national exam, which gave them a framework, but not a plan. What filled the gap was memory, improvisation, and an enormous amount of repeated effort. Every year, the work of building a coherent course started over. Every year, the pressure landed fresh on the same shoulders.

It was exhausting. And it was unnecessary. We just didn’t know it yet.

A New Idea, and an Unfamiliar Skill

Last year, we introduced lesson plans.

That may sound simple. It was not. Formal lesson planning — the kind that maps out each class in advance, estimates how long each task will take, identifies reference materials, and builds in time for worksheets and homework — is not something taught in Kenyan schools. It was a new skill for our teachers, and a demanding one. It required a different kind of thinking. Not reactive, but anticipatory. Not “what will I teach today” but “what does this entire course need to accomplish, and how do we get there, step by step.”

We gave our teachers a template. Each lesson plan would identify the topic and its learning objectives, break the class into timed tasks, note the references and materials required, and attach any worksheets or homework assignments. That alone was a shift. But we added one more element that turned out to be the most important of all.

After each class, teachers started taking notes. What went well. What fell flat. What will need more time next year. What the students struggled to grasp and what clicked immediately.

A lesson plan is not just a map for the future. It becomes a record of the past. And that record is where the real value lives.

The Miracle of the Second Year

It was hard work. It took time teachers didn’t always feel they had. There were moments of frustration. Mountains to climb

This year, something remarkable happened.

September arrived, and for the first time, our teachers walked a hill rather than climbing a mountain. The major planning was done. The course structure existed. The worksheets were there. The notes from last year told them exactly where to focus their energy — not on rebuilding, but on improving. Tighten this section. Expand that one. Last year, students found this concept confusing … so try a different approach.

The year started with relief. Quiet astonishment. This is what planning does. Not just the planning itself, but the compounding effect of planning over time. Every year the course gets a little better. Every year the teacher arrives a little more prepared. Every year the pressure is a little lighter.

Lightning struck, as they say. Our teachers understood, in their bones, what they had built.

What This Means for Our Students

It is easy to talk about lesson plans as a tool for teachers. But the person who benefits most is sitting in the classroom.

When a teacher is well-prepared, students feel it. The class has a shape to it. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Concepts build on each other rather than arriving in whatever order they were remembered. Materials are ready. Time is used well. The teacher, freed from the anxiety of improvisation, can focus entirely on the young people in front of them.

Our students come to NTS to become certified professionals — electricians, tailors, carpenters, hairdressers — who can walk into the Kenyan workforce and hold their own. The quality of their training determines the quality of that preparation. Better lesson plans mean better lessons. Better lessons mean better-prepared graduates. And better-prepared graduates mean more lives changed, more families lifted, more futures secured.

The chain runs all the way from a teacher’s notebook to a young person’s first day of work.

A Small Change with a Long Reach

We are proud of many things at NTS. Our 100% NITA pass rate. Our female empowerment programs. Our students who arrive with nothing and leave as certified professionals.

But we are also proud of a group of dedicated teachers who were asked to learn something new and unfamiliar, who pushed through the difficulty of it, who built something in year one that paid them back in year two — and will keep paying them back for every year that follows.

You can absolutely teach old-ish dogs new tricks. You just have to give them a good reason.

At NTS, the reason is always the same. The students.

Training Hands and Healing Hearts

by NTS Staff

At Nyamboyo Technical School, we often talk about what our students do with their hands. Electrical Wiring. Tailoring. Masonry. Hairdressing. These are the trades that will shape our students’ futures. We are enormously proud of what they learn and accomplish in our classrooms and workshops. But hands, it turns out, are only part of the story.

Our students arrive at NTS carrying something that cannot be measured on a national exam. They carry the weight of lives shaped by poverty — by hunger, by crowded homes, by worries no teenager should have to hold alone. If we only address the technical side of our students’ education and ignore the emotional and psychological side, we are not truly preparing them for the world. We are only doing half the job.

That is why we launched our monthly counseling program.

What Poverty Does to a Young Person

Nyamboyo Village is a community of nearly 58,000 people. It is rich in culture and natural resources. It is also a place where many families live on very little. For our students, this means daily realities that most people in the outside world rarely have to think about.

It means going to bed hungry and coming to school the next day and trying to concentrate. It means living in homes that are deeply overcrowded, where there is no quiet space and no privacy, and where sleep is not always restful when you share a bed with 4 others. It means having no reliable access to clean water or sanitation. It means watching family members go without medical care because there is simply no way to afford it.

It also means something that is harder to name but just as real. It means growing up in households where the adults around you are under tremendous pressure. Poverty is exhausting and demoralizing. When adults are stretched to their limits by stress and hardship, children can become the nearest target for that frustration. Many of our students have experienced anger, harshness, or worse, directed at them at home — not because they are unloved, but because the adults around them are drowning.

These experiences do not simply disappear when a student steps through our gates. They travel with our young people. They shape how students feel about themselves, how they relate to others, how they handle setbacks, and how they imagine their futures. Research on poverty-related trauma tells us that when these experiences go unaddressed, they can hold a person back for years.

Small Groups, Big Conversations

Once a month, we gather our students into small groups to talk.

The groups are intentionally small. We have found that our students open up in ways they never would in a large assembly or a full classroom. When there are only a few people in the room, it feels safer. Students can speak at their own pace, in their own words. They can listen. They can discover that the thing they have been ashamed of or frightened by is something their classmates understand — because they have lived it too.

The Professionals Behind Our Program

One of the most important decisions we made in designing this program was bringing in professional counselors from outside NTS.

Our sessions are led by Alyce Ngige, director of Renewed Hope Counseling Center, who brings a team of six trained local counselors to work with our students each month. Their expertise is invaluable. But beyond their professional qualifications, something else matters enormously — they are not our students’ teachers.

That distinction turns out to be everything.

Our teachers are trusted, respected figures in our students’ lives, which is precisely why students may hesitate to be fully honest with them. Shame and embarrassment are powerful forces, especially for teenagers. A student who loves and respects a teacher may not be able to tell that teacher that she goes to bed hungry most nights, or that the anger in her home frightens her, or that she has questions about her own body that she has never felt safe enough to ask. The relationship that makes a teacher powerful in the classroom can create an invisible barrier in a counseling context.

With Alyce and her team, that barrier lifts. Students know that what they say in the room stays in the room. They are speaking with professionals whose entire purpose is to listen without judgment — not to grade them, not to report back to school leadership, not to see them in the hallway the next morning as their teacher. That distance creates freedom. And in that freedom, our students speak.

What We Talk About

The conversations are not easy. We address things that are rarely spoken about openly in our community. What it feels like to be hungry and embarrassed. What it does to a child to witness adult rage directed at them. The weight of worrying about a sick family member and knowing there is no money for a doctor. The shame that poverty can place on young shoulders.

We also discuss psycho-sexual health which is rarely addressed honestly in schools or homes in our region. Our students are teenagers navigating changes in their bodies and growing awareness of their own sexuality, often without reliable information or anyone safe to ask. Alyce and her team create a space where students can understand their bodies, ask questions without embarrassment, and receive accurate, respectful answers. This knowledge is not separate from their well-being — it is central to it.

What happens when these things are named aloud, in a safe space, among peers and guided by professionals? Something shifts. Students begin to understand that their struggles are not personal failings. They are the predictable consequences of circumstances that no child chose. That understanding is not a small thing. For many of our students, it is the beginning of something new.

What We Are Building

Experience has taught us that vocational training alone cannot accomplish that mission. A young woman who graduates as a certified hairdresser but has never been given the chance to process her own experiences — to grieve what was hard, to understand her own resilience, to build the kind of inner confidence that carries her through the inevitable obstacles of adult life — is less equipped than she could be.

Our counseling program is not a replacement for professional mental health services. In an ideal world, every student would have access to trained therapists and sustained psychological support. We are working toward expanding what we offer, including family support programs and crisis resources.

But what we have created is something real and meaningful. It is a monthly space where young people are seen, heard, and reminded that they matter. Where the experiences they have survived are acknowledged. Where they build bonds with peers who understand. And where the idea takes root, quietly and steadily, that their futures are not determined by the circumstances of their childhoods.

An Invitation

If you are reading this, you are someone who cares about what happens to young people in Nyamboyo. We thank you for that.

Supporting NTS means supporting the whole student — the skilled professional they are becoming, and the full human being they already are. Our counseling program, like all of our support programs, depends on the generosity of people who believe that young people in remote, under-resourced communities deserve the same investment in their wellbeing that young people anywhere deserve.

If you would like to learn more or help us expand this program, we welcome you to get in touch at info@nyamboyotechnical.org.

Together, we are building something that lasts.

AFRIpads: When Practical Supports Dignity

By NTS staff

Last week, something powerful happened at Nyamboyo Technical School.

We held our annual AFRIpads training, a 2-day workshop on human reproduction and menstrual health. This year, it wasn’t just “successful.” It was deeply moving — the kind of experience that reminds you why education, when paired with dignity and practical support, can change a young person’s life in an instant.

What is AFRIpads?

AFRIpads is a social enterprise focused on menstrual health and hygiene, best known for manufacturing high-quality reusable sanitary pads and related menstrual products. Their approach goes beyond distributing materials, combining menstrual health education with practical solutions designed to remove barriers that keep girls out of school and limit confidence. Reusable kits are also more cost-effective and waste-reducing, which matters in rural communities where ongoing access to disposable products is unreliable.

A Strong Foundation — Then a Breakthrough

This term, our students have been learning about reproductive health. These lessons matter. They give students technical language so they can speak with less awkwardness about deeply personal issues. They build confidence. They created a foundation that allowed the AFRIpads sessions to go deeper — not as a first introduction, but as a real conversation.

And that conversation came alive.

From the start, students leaned in. They listened intently. They asked thoughtful questions. At times, the discussions were emotional — because for many of our teenagers, especially our girls, this topic is not theoretical. It’s personal, urgent, and tied to everyday survival. Pregnancy can end a promising career. HIV can be fatal.

Expert Leadership Makes the Difference

A big part of what made this training so impactful was the leadership behind it.

Norah Kadesa is our outside trainer and menstrual health expert, and she comes to NTS each year to lead this training. Her experience, clarity, and warmth set the tone immediately — students trust her, and that trust creates the conditions for honest learning.

She was joined by Rael Mogusu, our Deputy Director, who is also a registered nutritionist and an expert in female health. Together, Norah and Rael brought both professional expertise and deep cultural understanding, which helped students feel safe, seen, and respected.

Safe Spaces Create Honest Voices

After a joint session with all students — including an AFRIpads baseline survey to evaluate their knowledge — we separated into groups to create comfort and safety:

Boys met with Jones Obiria, NTS Founder and Director
Girls met with Norah Kadesa and Rael Mogusu

Then we did something new: we separated the younger girls, our Year 1 studentes, into their own smaller group.

That choice transformed everything.

You could see their innocence and curiosity right away — and you could also see their caution. Cultural norms often teach young people to stay silent about reproductive health. But slowly, the room changed.

Questions came with hesitantly raised hands. Honest ones. Brave ones. Sometimes whispered at first, then spoken clearly. And every question — every single one — was met with care, clarity, and respect.

The result was something rare in rural communities: open dialogue without shame.

The Joy on Their Faces Was Unforgettable

Then came a moment we won’t forget.

When the girls received their AFRIpads menstrual materials, the room lit up.

Our students come from poverty, where access to menstrual hygiene products is limited or inconsistent. For some girls, this lack of access affects attendance, confidence, and health. It can quietly interrupt education in ways outsiders rarely see.

So when the pads were distributed, what we witnessed wasn’t just gratitude.

It was relief. It was joy. It was dignity.

The younger girls were thrilled — smiling in a way that said, I feel seen. And the older girls, whose previous supplies had already been used up, were equally grateful to receive replacements.

A powerful reminder: when you combine education with practical support, you don’t just deliver information — you restore confidence.

Boys Engaged — and That Matters

The boys’ session was also a bright spot.

They participated actively and respectfully. They asked questions. They wanted to learn more. Their inclusion matters because reducing stigma around menstruation doesn’t happen when we educate girls alone — it happens when boys learn to understand, respect, and support.

One of the strongest outcomes from this training was seeing reproductive health education embraced by both genders.

What We Learned: Our Students Are Hungry for Knowledge

If there is one thing we would improve, it’s time.

In Kenya, it’s taboo to talk about reproduction in a family. So, our students want to know more, to learn about their bodies. We held Q&A session that went on for, literally hours, because students had so much to ask. That’s the kind of “challenge” we’re grateful for: teenagers hungry for knowledge and asking for more opportunities to learn.

We also heard something important from the boys: While education is essential, they also want to feel supported and included in practical ways. Moving forward, we will explore additional engagement resources for boys — materials and activities that reinforce their role as allies and informed peers.

We thank AFRIpads for their products and the investment they have made in creating education materials that protect dignity. We thank our community for supporting this effort. Our students are growing, not only into skilled professionals, but also into confident, informed adults.

To be continued — because as our students ask for more, we’re listening.

Our New Generator – A Lifeline to the World

By NTS staff

In rural Kenya, you learn quickly that electricity is never something you can take for granted.

At Nyamboyo Technical School, power outages are a normal part of life—but “normal” doesn’t mean easy. In our area, outages happen for all kinds of reasons: severe weather, improperly maintained equipment, and even government shutdowns connected to periods of political violence. The result is the same: the lights go out, the internet drops, the phones struggle, and suddenly the simplest tasks become complicated.

When the power is down, it doesn’t just affect the classroom. It limits our communication and can completely shut down the workflow between NTS and our U.S. team, as well as with our vendors, service providers and emergency medical providers. In a school that depends on coordination—supplies, reports, payroll, planning, documents, donor updates—losing power can freeze progress instantly.

The hardest part is the unpredictability.

If we knew outages would happen every day from 2–4 p.m., we could plan around it. But that’s not how it works. The power might go down for ten minutes or ten hours. It might go off right as we’re trying to complete something time-sensitive with our U.S. colleagues—an urgent decision, a financial deadline, a critical document that needs to be sent, a call that can’t be rescheduled. And because the causes are outside our control, you can’t “problem solve” your way out of it in the moment. You can only wait.

Until now.

After weighing the impact of these outages on school operations, our Board made a clear decision: We needed a new generator—one that is efficient, quiet, and reliable. Not a temporary fix. Not a patchwork solution. A real operational backbone that would protect our ability to function even when the grid fails.

And then our Board did what strong Boards do. They came together and raised the funds.

Because of their commitment and follow-through, NTS now has a new generator. It’s a Maybach MB6000LHEW with dual welding capability, which means it can also be used for welding when the school needs to make repairs to any of our steel infrastructure. It runs on diesel for up to 8 hours and powers the entire school.

This is more than equipment—it’s a shift in what is possible for our school. For the first time, we are not at the mercy of forces that have felt beyond our control. We have power when we need it. We can keep working. We can stay connected. We can run the school with confidence and consistency.

The benefits are immediate. Our staff can communicate reliably. Our operations can move forward even during outages. Our students benefit as we become more “wired” in how we work—more able to use technology, more able to plan and deliver learning consistently, more able to function like the professional institution we are building.

This is what empowerment looks like in practice: not a big speech, but a practical tool that removes a barrier and unlocks momentum.

And we’re not stopping here.

The next step is solar energy. So, to be continued…

NTS Library – Meet Luke Kugler, Co-Founder

When the call came for funding to create a student library at NTS, Luke Kugler did not hesitate. At just 15 years old and a sophomore at a US high school, Luke saw an opportunity to make a difference and jumped right in.

Luke joined the NTS community a year ago when he responded to an ad for US teens to become penpals with students at NTS in Kenya through the Marafiki Penpal Program.

Luke was introduced to Wycliffe, a first-year electrical student and their friendship began. Luke looks forward to his communications with his friend halfway across the world and cherishes the relationship between them. Through this connection, Luke became committed to ensuring that Wycliffe and his classmates receive the best educational experience possible. After learning about the library project, Luke decided to take the initiative of reaching out to donors and advocating for NTS. He had no idea that his support for this project would be so powerful.

To kick off the fundraiser, Luke made a commitment by donating $100 of his own money that he earned. This contribution made a statement to future donors, seeing that Luke truly believed in the mission of NTS. He set the tone for the campaign and motivated others to make contributions by stressing the value that library resources would bring to the school. Thanks to his efforts, Luke has helped raise nearly $3,000 for the students of NTS who are in the process of selecting books for their new library.

Driven by a genuine desire to help others, Luke finds fulfillment in giving back. He treasures the smile he sees on the faces of the people he has touched and finds nothing more rewarding. He is grateful for the chance to enrich the lives of NTS students while building meaningful connections beyond his community. Through this experience, Luke is gaining first-hand insights into a culture, environment, and society different from his own.

Besides school and working with NTS, Luke’s great passion is fencing – a combat sport that combines strategy, agility, and skill. In fencing, two opponents engage using flexible swords (that do not cause harm), aiming to score points by touching their opponent through intricate maneuvers and blade work. There are three disciplines in modern fencing, each using different variations of a blade and have different rules for engagement. Typically, the first person to score 15 points wins the match or “bout.”

Luke discovered fencing when he was 10 during an after-school program. What began as a casual interest quickly revealed a natural talent. Today, he is nationally ranked in the US and practices 5 days a week. While he acknowledges he doesn’t win every match – and this, he admits can be hard – he always regroups knowing that he has many more opportunities ahead of him. Luke will tell you it takes hard work to master the grace of defeat. He believes understanding his weaknesses ultimately transforms them into strengths.

Looking ahead, Luke intends to remain actively involved with NTS and the library project. It would be a dream come true for him to someday visit NTS and meet Wycliffe and his family. Luke’s aspirations for the future include pursuing a career in either computer science or medicine. But in the meantime, he is driven to find and follow his passions.

To every NTS student, Luke shares this heartfelt message: “Staying in school is crucial. We have one life to experience so make the most of it. Get your education and do what matters to you – find what brings you joy.”

With his unwavering dedication and inspiring outlook, Luke Kugler is truly making a mark on his community and beyond.

Click here learn more about supporting the NTS library.

The State of Dental Care in Kenya – Our Vision for Improvements at NTS

by Megha Rana

What is the Issue at Hand?
Kenya faces a shortage of dental workers and dentists, leaving much of the population underserved for their dental needs. According to the Economic Survey, in 2020 Kenya had 1,090 registered dentists. However, following the pandemic around 2023, statistics from the Dentists Association of Kenya indicate that the number of dentists dropped significantly. Today, the estimated dentist to patient ratio is one to 70,000 people. Compare this to the WHO recommendation for a maximum dentist to patient ratio of one to 7,000. The lack of dentists and dental assistants in Kenya has created severe barriers to dental care for the lower and middle classes.

To compound this, the government does not view dental services as an essential part of healthcare, leading to high out-of-pocket costs which those financially struggling cannot afford. Yet, much of the Kenyan population suffers from dental diseases, which can further complicate into life-threatening conditions. An estimated 34% of the Kenyan adult population suffer from untreated dental disease (tooth-related), and 98% of the adult population suffer from periodontitis or gum-related disease. Periodontitis has been linked to respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cognitive impairment, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cancer.

NTS Attempts to Create a Dental Clinic
This year, NTS realized that none of our students have ever received dental care and decided to find a dental care partner, with the end goal of creating a clinic. As a long-term volunteer, I offered to take on this task in confidence that I would be able to find outside organizations. The hope was that these organizations would come to NTS to provide dental care or host a clinic at their site. Initially, I reached out to 20 organizations expecting that at least one would have a network through which I could wend my way. I also contacted dental schools, first in our Kisii region and then broadly. Not one dental school replied back.

Barriers, Barriers, Barriers
First, not one dental school responded despite multiple emails sent. The NGO’s I did contact, all had reasons for why they could not help. These ranged from losing funding during the pandemic and downsizing, to closing, to focusing their work on other areas of Kenya. Some lacked the resources to take on new patients, particularly a new school.

What Does this Mean for the Average Kenyan?
Like anyone, I hate to lose a battle. I am a scientist and have contacts to network within the medical world. So, what struck me most intensely was this: How does the low-income Kenyan, with no connections to the dental or medical world, limited phone access, and no internet for research, begin to find help? Who could they possibly reach out to? Even if they have some success, how will they afford treatment when there are few government subsidies? I also wonder about dental organizations and how they must struggle to survive, bombarded with patients and yet not making a dent in the thousands of people who need care. Are they well-supplied? Do they have access to trained clinicians, hygienists, or trained international volunteers? And what happens to communities when the organizations that keep the lives and health of thousands afloat, can no longer survive themselves?

References

Business Daily. “Kenya’s dentist shortage leaves rural poor underserved.” Business Daily. 22 Dec. 2020. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/kenya-s-dentist-shortage-leaves-rural-poor-underserved-2111646#google_vignette

Gitonga, A. “Kenya faced with shortage of dentists.” Health. 1 Nov. 2023. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/health-science/article/2001459677/kenya-faced-with-shortage-of-dentists

Ogada, Cyril, and Laetitia C. Rispel. ““Dentists are never seen”: Perspectives of key policy actors on multiple job holding among dentists in Nairobi, Kenya.” Jun. 2024, doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4518350/v1

Okumu, Brenda A et al. “Geospatial Analysis of Dental Access and Workforce Distribution in Kenya.” Annals of global health vol. 88,1 104. 21 Nov. 2022, doi:10.5334/aogh.3903

Winning, L., Linden, G. Periodontitis and systemic disease. BDJ Team 2, 15163 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/bdjteam.2015.163

Ingredients for a successful TVET program

By Laura Darcey.

With 50% of its population under the age of 25, Kenya is teeming with potential. Its youth represent the nation’s most valuable yet underdeveloped resource. However, this potential can only be realised if young people have access to a modern education system that prioritises intellectual and creative development. Among this young generation are future innovators, engineers, entrepreneurs, scholars and leaders poised to drive Kenya forward. Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offers a clear path to unlocking this potential, equipping the youth with essential skills for the future.

The Kenyan government passed the 2013 TVET Act naming TVET the ‘preferable’ option for post-primary education for young people, identifying it as a method to close stubborn skill gaps and reinvigorate Kenya’s stalling economy. Moving away from a general education provided at most Kenyan universities, TVET provides specific skills that are sought after in the job market, enabling graduates a smooth transition into productive work. With emerging jobs in Kenya concentrated in fields such as manufacturing, construction, polytechnic, textiles and hospitality, TVET is a clear path forward for Kenya’s youth.

TVET for Personal and Community Prosperity

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) equips students with practical skills and knowledge essential for success in their chosen trades, effectively addressing skill gaps in the job market. Programs are tailored to meet the needs of local employers, ensuring students acquire in-demand skills and are well-prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation.

Countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan have invested heavily in TVET programs alongside university and polytechnic training, resulting in the emergence of highly-skilled workforces and lower youth unemployment rates. Investing in a skilled workforce promotes productivity growth, leading to more and better jobs for the current workforce. Businesses can find the talent they need to grow, promoting economic prosperity which, in turn, increases the demand for skilled workers in the community and reduces youth unemployment rates. Coupled with the entrepreneurial potential of TVET graduates, these initiatives can foster sustainable socio-economic development, benefitting both current and future generations.

Ingredients for a successful TVET program

While TVET has the potential to transform an economy, the Kenyan government has not yet invested sufficiently in its public TVET programs to unlock these benefits. Consequently, schools like NTS remain essential in communities like Nyamboyo Village.

For TVET programs to have a broad impact, they must be accessible to the youth of the country. In Kenya, despite investments that have lowered the cost of attendance, at a yearly cost of $550 it still remains out of reach of many, especially those living in poverty.

As learners enter TVET programs after primary education, they are expected to have the foundational skills applicable to their studies. Unfortunately, due to the poor state of primary education in Kenya, students often enter public TVET programs with limited literacy and math abilities, making the acquisition of technical skills challenging. Successful TVET programs must ensure that students possess basic skills, supplementing their education in these areas as needed to provide them with tools to excel in their studies.

An effective TVET education fosters the development of general skills, including basic and soft skills, as well as “learning how to learn” abilities that support lifelong learning. As industries evolve rapidly, this approach can future-proof TVET graduates, enabling them to adapt to changing environments. A key factor in the success of a TVET program is its ability to meet the dynamic demands of local industries. Programs must be flexible, inclusive, efficient, and collaborative, delivering the skills employers need while recognising that these needs frequently change.

TVET Success at NTS

NTS provides a TVET education that addresses the shortcomings of the public system. The four vocational programs offered at NTS have been extensively researched by professionals to ensure they are in growing economic sectors with an expanding need for qualified professionals. Senior NTS staff regularly engage with local employers about the skills they seek in young, trained professionals. These employers are also recruited as volunteers who actively participate in the classroom, working directly with students.

All NTS teachers are qualified teaching professionals with advanced NITA certification and practical experience as business owners and employees. Many of the teachers work in businesses on weekends and holidays to stay current in their field, ensuring they remain up-to-date with the skills in demand.

While NTS ensures students receive quality technical education, we understand it is not enough to simply teach students the theory and practical skills for their chosen profession.

NTS’ approach to learning opens our students’ minds to bigger ideas. They view their professions as not just a route to financial stability, but an exciting challenge that will keep them engaged and excited to work for years to come. Their education goes far beyond the practicalities of their profession, as they learn how to run a business in their region, with math, English and entrepreneurship skills preparing them to excel in the world of work.

Why Educated Youth Struggle to Find Work

by Laura Darcey

Young people, who against the odds managed to stay in school, graduate and acquire professional qualifications, often find that educational attainment is not linked to employment in Kenya. In fact, youth unemployment is extremely high. Although overall unemployment in Kenya is 12.7%, Kenyan youth (18 to 34-year olds) have the highest unemployment rate of 35% ¹ . Only 17% of employed youth are able to secure formal jobs, and up to 25% of youths with tertiary education are unable to find employment ² . Many young Kenyans resort to underemployment, meaning their work does not provide them with regular hours, or does not align with their skills.

Formal education has long been seen as a reliable method to break the generational cycle of poverty, but a regression analysis found that secondary education is not sufficient to break out of poverty. Access to education counts for little when the low quality of education and the high opportunity cost of attending school are combined with weak links between the formal education system and the labour market ³ . But ultimately, many of these problems have arisen due to the lack of formal employment opportunities in the Kenyan economy.

Why are there so few formal employment opportunities?

According to the Kenyan government, the growth of the economy has not been adequate to generate sufficient employment opportunities to absorb young Kenyans looking for work. Each year the labour force increases between 500,000 and 800,000, but poor and worsening economic conditions and low levels of business creation mean the economy has not been able to provide sufficient employment opportunities ⁴ .

A growing informal economy, and a stagnant formal economy

While Kenya’s informal economy is large and rapidly growing, its formal economy is small and relatively stagnant. Between 2010 and 2015 only 354,000 workers were added to Kenya’s formal economy, compared to 4.8 million who were added to the informal economy in roles such as street vendors, motorbike taxis, small-scale manufacturers and day labourers ⁵ .

Informal jobs are unattractive. They are unreliable, poorly paid and offer few or no worker protections and government benefits. People instead seek formal jobs, but there are simply not enough available for young people. While Kenya has experienced some economic growth, this has been in high GDP-creating sectors such as the mining and extractive sectors, which are not labour intensive and create few jobs ⁶ .

Kenya has unusually low levels of new firm creation.

Firms creation is extremely risky, expensive and time consuming. There are stringent regulatory procedures to formal registration and they require a certain threshold of revenue. Even connecting to the internet, a requirement for formal organisations, is burdensome. Just connecting to the power grid in Nairobi takes 6 steps, more than 5 months, and costs 10 times more than the Gross National Income per Capita ⁷ .

High levels of corruption in Kenya also contribute to low levels of firm creation as employers attempt to avoid paying the bribes associated with setting up and running a business. 1 in 6 Kenyan companies report having to give gifts and make informal payments in order to obtain an operating licence, and 1 in 3 companies report having to pay bribes in order to obtain construction permits ⁸ .

Yet new firms create the highest level of new employment opportunities in the formal sector.
In Kenya, less than 20% of manufacturing and services firms are younger than 5 years old ⁹ .

What else contributes to youth unemployment?

Competition for formal jobs

With youth hesitant to work in the informal sector, they engage in fierce competition to secure the few formal roles available, which offer them better pay, more development possibilities and labour protections. With so many candidates and so few jobs, educated youth apply for jobs in the formal sector, neglecting to find informal work where they will be faced with low wages and job insecurity.

But unconnected youth are at a huge disadvantage. Bribery and nepotism are rife in the formal job market. This means that qualified candidates are bypassed, in favour of those with connections in the market. 75% of Kenyan youth surveyed by the British Council agreed that “knowing people in high places is critical to getting a job” ¹⁰ .

Skills mismatch

While Kenya has prioritised education at the primary and secondary levels, both quality and access to higher levels of education are limited, and have posed challenges to the preparedness of Kenyan youth for the employment market and their attractiveness to employers. While employers are generally satisfied with the disciplinary knowledge of graduates, they find significant gaps in ICT skills, personal qualities (e.g. reliability) and transferable skills such as teamwork and problem solving.

In addition, the skill sets and aspirations of Kenya’s younger generation are often disconnected from the realities and demands of the labour market. For instance, only 11% of Kenyan youth aspire to work in agriculture despite the sector’s huge capacity for employment ¹¹ .

A preference for older workers

Additionally, employers often prefer experienced workers over new market entrants. Hiring someone with a proven track record is less risky for employers, and older employees are likely to possess many of the soft skills (communication, teamwork, time management) vital for productive work.

Young Kenyans are very aware of this preference and believe the system is stacked against youth in favour of elders ¹² . This belief is supported by the unemployment rate among 15-24- year olds which is almost triple that of older workers.

Where does that leave Kenyan youth?

Many Kenyan youth either remain unemployed or take up informal work that does not utilise their full potential. This situation is referred to as underemployment, where an employee experiences a skill underutilisation, works insufficient hours, or lacks opportunities for growth and advancement ¹³ . In rural Kenya, youth often become day labourers, pulling weeds or moving bricks on a building site. Their work is inconsistent, unpredictable, and they are paid a pittance, as little as 50 cents a day.

Young Kenyan women are even less likely to be employed than their male counterparts. They are less likely to be able to find jobs and are more vulnerable to workplace abuse, including sexual harassment ¹⁴ .

Kenya’s “youth bulge” could be a major asset and bolster the economy, but only if young people are able to find appropriate employment. Lacking this, Kenya is at risk of developing a lost generation, who languish in a stagnating economy and fight over jobs that always go to those with inside connections.

How does NTS ensure graduates find employment?

Everything we do at NTS is preparing our students to have a prosperous future and break the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Our students gain NITA qualifications in one of four vocational fields, all of which have been extensively researched by professionals to ensure that they are in growing economic sectors with an expanding need for qualified professionals. In addition to vocational studies, every student has classes in English, math and business skills. Students take control of their careers, learning interview techniques, self-presentation and practising different business skills. They learn how to manage their money, create long and short-term financial goals and how to make safe investments. They graduate ready to take control of their lives and begin the process of moving themselves and their families out of generational poverty.

NTS teachers are all qualified teaching professionals with advanced NITA certification as well as practical experience as business owners and employees. Many teachers work in businesses on the weekends and holidays to stay current in their field. However, all consider teaching their primary job and responsibility.

Once each quarter, NTS teachers develop a community service project for their students. This can range from rebuilding a wall falling down outside a church, to making clothes for children in a poor neighbourhood, to giving haircuts to the elderly. Students become known locally for their skills, their professionalism, and their caring attitude. Teachers further elevate respect for NTS in the local community, taking classes onto job sites where students assist employers, demonstrate their skills and ensure employers feel confident hiring NTS graduates in the future.

But support doesn’t stop when students graduate. NTS is developing a vibrant graduate program to support our students in the first 5 years of their careers. Today, this includes assisting graduates with job placement, holding regular get-togethers where they share experiences and provide mutual support, and making staff available for counselling when needed. In the future, this program will also include assistance with developing new skills, financial counselling, and a mentoring program in which graduates mentor current students. The goal is to create a vibrant NTS graduate community building an ever-expanding network of support.

References

¹ Ariemba, Youth Unemployment Crisis in Kenya: Causes and Options, https://www.kiep.go.kr/aif/issueFileDownload.es?brdctsNo=342694&brdctsFileNo=84227#:~:text=Accelerating%20economic%20growth%20is%20central,jobs%20are%20of%20good%20quality.
² UK Aid , Youth Employment in Kenya, https://www.britishcouncil.co.ke/sites/default/files/ng_kenya_youth_employment_in_kenya.pdf
³ USAID, Resilience and Sustainable Poverty Escapes in Rural Kenya, https://www.resiliencelinks.org/system/files/documents/2019-08/poverty_escapes_kenya_report_508_v2.pdf
⁴ UK Aid
⁵ Ariemba
⁶ UK Aid
⁷ World Bank Blogs, A blueprint for better jobs in Kenya, https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/jobs/blueprint-better-jobs-kenya
⁸ Gan Integrity, Kenya Risk Report, https://www.ganintegrity.com/country-profiles/kenya/
⁹ World Bank Blogs 10 British Council, Next Generation Kenya, https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/h198_next_generation_kenya_a4_final_web.pdf
¹¹ British Council
¹² British Council
¹³ UK Aid
¹⁴ Ariemba

Concentrated Political Power and Voter Apathy in Kenya

by Laura Darcey

Since the end of single-party rule in 1991, Kenya has been navigating the challenges of democracy. Despite 30 years of a multi-party system with regular elections, Kenya’s concentration of power has remained in the hands of the political and economic elites. The top 0.1% of the population owns more than the bottom 99.9% combined ¹ . This means a tiny fraction of the population commands a disproportionate share of wealth while the majority survives on the breadcrumbs. Thus, while the framework of democracy exists on paper, many Kenyans feel side- lined from meaningful political participation. Money has come to rule politics, leading to a growing sense of apathy among the populace.

Poverty as a Barrier to Free and Fair Elections

When each day is a fight for survival, average Kenyans have little time to engage with politics, and see the state as accessible only to those with higher education, economic might, or a strong ethnic affiliation to those in power. The majority of the poor do not possess the education, the economic opportunity or the associated amenities to understand their political rights, leaving most poor Kenyans feeling powerless and adrift from the democratic process ² . In rural Kenyan communities such as Nyamboyo Village, the poor have no access to the internet, no newspapers and hear only snippets of political news through the radio and discussions among community members. They cannot access accurate information or gain the knowledge that could help them engage politically and hold their representatives to account. Moreover, poverty causes low self-esteem and a lack of courage which can limit citizen’s ability to participate in civil, cultural and political activities. People may not feel they know or understand enough to challenge governmental decisions ³ . When poverty is rife, politicians take advantage of the desperation of potential supporters through vote buying, which is exchanging a citizen’s vote for some form of compensation. According to an Afrobarmeter survey, between 2003 and 2014 more than a quarter of the Kenyan population engaged in vote buying, although the real number is likely higher ⁴ . Politicians, or individuals working for politicians, purchase voters’ allegiance by offering them money or gifts to show up and vote for a particular candidate or party. Perversely, politicians also corrupt the democratic system by paying people to stay home. A Kenyan politician once showed up in a settlement he knew did not support him with kegs of beer intending to get potential voters so inebriated that they would not turn out to vote ⁵ .

Politicians also engage in the slightly less nefarious practice of tokenism. Campaigners may offer a favour in the short-term – paying school fees during a crisis, covering hospital expenses or legal fees and court fines, hoping to gain voters’ support ⁶ . At campaign rallies, they hand out free t-shirts, fizzy drinks, and small stipends to the crowd. During the 2017 election it was thought that the demand for ‘something small’ was so great that the 50-shilling note became rare. Over time, payments and free handouts to potential voters have become expected. Kenya’s poor know that once politicians are elected to office, their needs will be neglected and look to capitalise on handouts before campaigning politicians become elected officials and forget them ⁷ .

Money in Politics

Running an election campaign in Kenya is prohibitively expensive, but winning office is extremely lucrative. In 2022, victorious Senators spent more than double what losers spent during their campaigns ⁸ . To run and win a campaign, an individual must have access to a significant amount of money, essentially baring huge swathes of the electorate from running for office. Money begets money as members of Parliament are paid a monthly packet of at least US $10,000 which includes a basic allowance, making parliamentarians some of the most highly paid individuals in Kenyan society. They are also bestowed the individual title of Mheshimiwa – Kiswahili for honourable – and are granted access to patron-client networks, providing great opportunities for self-enrichment ⁹ .

The high cost of running for office means that many capable candidates are excluded from running. Political seats go to those who have the funds to offer the most handouts, whether that be in the form of contributions to development projects, donations to groups, or raising funds for individuals in need. When politics is boiled down to who has the most money to throw around, policy debate and dialogue is cast aside. Once elected to office, politicians begin to prepare for their next campaign, with many incentives to engage in corruption to raise funds. Voters see political candidates as moneybags and openly demand money before agreeing to go to their meetings, snowballing the costs of campaigning ¹⁰ . Yet despite being given the opportunity to make a change, in 2021 legislators turned down a move by the electoral body to cap campaign spending ¹¹ .

Ethnocentric Politics

In Kenya, ethnic groups with a representative in power receive more government investment. When Kenyans know that their representatives will vote along ethnocentric lines to enrich their own group, politicians need not promote nuanced ideologies or philosophies in their manifestos, but must simply appeal to their ethnic group. Political contests are framed as zero-sum gains along ethnic lines, promoting a climate of mistrust and animosity, diverting attention from substantive policy issues and fostering a sense of “us against them” among voters ¹² . 2010 saw a new Kenyan constitution with a ruling that a president needed 50%+ 1 of votes to win. It was thought this could end ethnic voting as no ethnic bloc makes up the majority of the population. But in response, ethnic groups began to form pre- election coalitions with different ethnic groups. Today, Kenyans still vote along entrenched ethnic lines to insure their groups’ interests are best protected ¹³ . Despite the changes, power remains concentrated in the hands of a few ethnocentric elites, accountability mechanisms are weak, and impunity thrives.

Voter Apathy

It seems intuitive that living in a society with high levels of inequality and few opportunities for growth would compel people to engage with the political process to fight for their rights, but sadly the opposite is true. Studies have shown that where there is a high level of inequality, democratic support is often reduced because people become disillusioned with the system ¹⁴ .

In Kenya, many voters feel disillusioned by the limited options presented during elections. The barriers to running for office often result in a lack of genuine competition with the same elites and parties dominating the political landscape election after election. With widespread corruption, political scandals and repeated failure to address social and economic issues, Kenyans also question the efficacy of the political process. In recent years, election-related violence and intimidation has created such a fear of violence or coercion that it has deterred some individuals from exercising their right to vote ¹⁵ .

Some Kenyans have looked for alternative ways to engage in the political process, but many have switched off entirely. With huge inequality and an electorate with little ability to engage in politics, Kenya can hardly claim to have free and fair elections ¹⁶ .

How Can the Kenyan Majority Fight Back?

Low levels of political engagement across the populace means campaigning politicians get away with promising a great deal and delivering very little once in office. The March 2023 riots, during which Kenyan citizens expressed their displeasure over a ‘skyrocketing’ cost of living, was followed by concession by President Ruto. Politicians will only truly work for the people, when the majority feels empowered to hold their representatives to account. This shift cannot occur solely through legislative change, but must arise through a grassroots focus on education and citizenship.

Kenyan politicians have historically been able to run on little more than their ethnicity. Opening up the political conversation to include ideologies and strategies for the future requires fostering a national identity among citizens. Education can encourage young people to feel loyal to their country, learning to prioritise it above or on par with their ethnic, racial, regional, class and religious communities. Toward this end, at the beginning and end of each day, the NTS community – students and teachers – assemble to raise the Kenyan flag above the school, and again, to lower it at the end of the day. Education has also been shown to build social cohesion, and it has been found that those with more education feel a greater sense of belonging to the Kenyan nation. With this greater allegiance to the national community they are able to rise above their narrow ethnic group, and are more likely to fight for the well- being of all Kenyan citizens rather than simply their particular ethnicity.

At NTS, all students learn about both their rights and responsibilities through the Civics curriculum. They are able to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to make their own decisions and take responsibility for their own lives and communities. They have an in-depth understanding of their rights as guaranteed by law, and are able to articulate both their freedoms, and what opportunities their government should make available.

Civics education can go beyond improving political participation and accountability for representatives by nurturing self-confidence and a sense of agency. An education that includes teachings about citizenship and a young person’s role in their greater society, illustrates for these young citizens how their contribution is vital for national, community and personal development. A young person is more likely to break out of
the cycle of poverty if they feel they belong, are valued, and that they can, and must, contribute to society.

References

¹ Oxfam, Kenya: Extreme Inequality in Numbers, https://www.oxfam.org/en/kenya-extreme-inequality-
numbers
² Musili, The Link Between Poverty and the Right to Free, and Fair Elections in Kenya,
http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/154318/Muli%20S_The%20Link%20Between%20Pove
rty%20and%20the%20Right%20to%20Free%2c%20and%20Fair%20Elections%20in%20Kenya.pdf?sequence=1
&isAllowed=y
³ Musili
⁴ The Conversation, Vote Buying is a Big Problem in Kenya, How to Curb it Before the 2022 Elections,
https://theconversation.com/vote-buying-is-a-big-problem-in-kenya-how-to-curb-it-before-the-2022-
elections-171630
⁵ The Conversation
⁶ Nyanjom, The Political Economy of Poverty, Tokenism and Free and Fair Elections in Kenya,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305367552_The_Political_Economy_of_Poverty_Tokenism_and_Fr
ee_and_Fair_Elections_in_Kenya_In_Okoth_Okombo_Ed_Discourses_on_Kenya’s_2007_General_Elections_pe
rspectives_and_prospects_for_a_democratic_society_Nairo
⁷ The Conversation, Kenya’s Elections are Much More than Just A Ruthless Game of Thrones,
https://theconversation.com/kenyas-elections-are-much-more-than-just-a-ruthless-game-of-thrones-81957
⁸ Kanyinga, The Cost of Politics in Kenya: Implications for Political Participation and Development,
https://nimd.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WFD_NIMD_2021_The-cost-of-politics-in-Kenya-1.pdf
⁹ Kanyinga
¹⁰ Kanyinga
¹¹ The Guardian, ‘It’s an Illusion of Choice’: Why Young Kenyans are Boycotting the Election,
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/aug/05/young-kenyans-boycotting-the-election
¹² Kwatemba, Ethnicity and Political Pluralism in Kenya, https://www.eisa.org/storage/2023/05/2008-journal-
of-african-elections-v7n2-ethnicity-political-pluralism-kenya-eisa.pdf
¹³ Odidi, Issue-Based Politics in Kenya: Assessing the Underlying Factors, Progress Made, and Barriers,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377957506_Issue-
Based_Politics_in_Kenya_Assessing_the_Underlying_Factors_Progress_Made_and_Barriers
¹⁴ Krieckhaus, Economic Inequality and Democratic Support,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274030717_Economic_Inequality_and_Democratic_Support
¹⁵ McCrone, Political Elite are Stirring Violence in Kenya by Moving Voters Around,
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2023/11/14/political-elites-are-stirring-violence-in-kenya-by-moving-voters-
around/
¹⁶ Musili

Kenya’s Culture of Corruption

by Laura Darcey

Corruption pervades all levels of Kenyan society and is arguably considered the leading cause of Kenya’s inability to develop beyond a third-world nation. Each year, Kenya loses at least a third of the state budget to corruption – the equivalent of $6 billion – although many believe the actual proportion might be much greater ¹ .

Large Scale Corruption

Large scale corruption undermines Kenya’s development into a prosperous state. It subverts the operating of services and institutions, and stifles investments and innovation. Public purchases are made at inflated prices, and fictitious companies are paid for contracts that are never executed. Huge amounts of revenue are lost through corruption, stalling government-funded programmes, hollowing-out institutions and leaving Kenyans with inadequate public services.

Public sector bureaucracy is rife with opportunities for corruption. Accounting firm Price Waterhouse Cooper recently found 4,000 ghost workers on payroll at the City Council of Nairobi, constituting 35% of the 12,000 strong workforces with a monthly bill of approximately US $800,000 ² . These positions had been created by officials responsible for payroll who had colluded with others to fraudulently collect salaries and benefits. These ghost workers inflate the government’s wage bill, wasting public funds, and undermining the efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery.

In 2020, a media exposé revealed a series of incidents that led to the loss of billions of shillings by the Kenyan Medical Supplies Agency when they purchased medical equipment to combat Covid-19. Funds intended to provide lifesaving support during a global pandemic, instead lined the pockets of corrupt officials. This event was investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), who found a number of officers culpable, but to-date, they have not been able to charge them with any crime ³ . The EACC was created to investigate corruption but it lacks the powers of enforcement or prosecution.

Things look unlikely to change under President Ruto. Despite campaigning on a platform which promised to crack down on corruption, since he was elected in 2022 the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped several cases of corruption and human rights abuses against Ruto’s close allies, some of whom he has since appointed to his cabinet ⁴ . He has also failed to begin a commission of inquiry into state capture under his predecessor, for whom he was his Deputy. It is speculated he is personally fearful of what an inquiry might reveal ⁵ .

Small Scale Corruption

Petty corruption is also pervasive in Kenya, with citizens regularly asked for ‘a little something’ to get a document stamped, a service provided, or an infraction overlooked ⁶ . While the amounts demanded may be small, they quickly add up for those living in poverty. According to one study, Kenyans pay on average 16 bribes every week ⁷ .

The Kenyan Police Service is thought to be the most corrupt institution in Kenya. 75% of Kenyans believe that most or all police officers are corrupt, and 50% admit to paying a bribe to the police. The police force is known to engage in corruption crimes such as false imprisonment, fabrication of charges, and abuse of human rights to extort bribes ⁸ . When faced with demands for a bribe, there is very little that regular Kenyans can do but pay it.

Corruption and Underdevelopment

Corruption hurts many and benefits only the few. The quality of government goods and services suffers as funds are diverted for private gain. Corruption takes funds from infrastructure which is frequently of a lower standard and often deteriorates quickly or fails to meet safety standards. Economic competition is undermined as jobs or contracts are given to those who pay bribes or have a personal connection to the government. Qualified firms and candidates are turned down from positions and contracts, rewarding undeserving people and creating inefficiencies in the market ⁹ . International firms are also hesitant to invest in the Kenyan market due to concerns about the reliability of institutions, the rule of law, and the security of their investments.

The unpredictable nature of bribes in Kenya means that business owners have a hard time incorporating them into their cost structure, leading many to shut down unexpectedly. States with high levels of corruption tend to have larger underground economies because employers want to avoid bribes associated with setting up a business ¹⁰. 1 in 6 Kenyan companies report having to give gifts and make informal payment in order to obtain an operating licence, and 1 in 3 companies report having to pay bribes to obtain construction permits ¹¹ .

Corruption also dampens international aid. In 2010, the US government announced it was suspending education funding to Kenya following reports that more than US $1 million was missing from the country’s primary schooling program. The US could not trust that money it was supplying was going to its intended cause ¹² .

Ultimately, the economic costs of corruption fall disproportionately on the poor as they are frequently asked for bribes, and must rely on underfunded and dysfunctional public services such as health care and education ¹³ . These are vast sums that could have been used to improve the lives of many, but instead have been used to line the pockets of the corrupt.

Where does the money go?

Kenya suffers from a leaky tax base. Political and economic elites routinely move their money out of the country to tax havens. This is true both of the money they earn through their economic endeavours and the money they steal from the public pot ¹⁴ . The wealth of the elites, both earned and stolen, is squirrelled away in jurisdictions with opaque tax laws, notably the United States, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Mauritius.

What can be done?

Major changes must come from within a country. Transparency International Kenya argues that the solution is to increase the independence of the country’s judicial system, ensuring that those guilty of misappropriating funds will be held to account. This must be coupled with comprehensive electoral reforms including the establishment of rigorous electoral vetting processes to scrutinise the backgrounds of candidates running for office, ensuring that individuals facing corruption allegations or with a questionable ethical standing are disqualified from running for office. The punishment for corruption needs to be clear and consistent. Anti-corruption laws and regulations also need to be strengthened, and independent commissions must be able to track down and punish corruption in all sectors ¹⁵ .

A lack of transparency is a great contributor to corruption. Another priority for the Kenyan government is to make information on budgets, government contracts, and resource allocations public in order to prevent fraud and corruption. An early-detection oversight system could be put in place to identify corrupt acts early and prevent them from taking root ¹⁶.

Responsibility also lies in international actors investing, and donating to countries where corruption is rife. The World Bank has faced issues with misused funds in the past, and now subjects all potential projects to rigorous scrutiny. And when there are substantiated allegations of fraud or corruption, companies involved are barred from engaging in any new World Bank Group financed activity. The World Bank believes that prevention calls for credible deterrence and relies on accountability and enforcement mechanisms to send a strong message to potential wrongdoers of the potential cost of their misconduct ¹⁷ .

As long as Kenyans cannot rely on their public leaders to combat corruption, integrating anti- corruption education into school curricula can help young citizens develop ethical values and a strong understanding of the detrimental impact of corruption, fostering a culture of honesty and accountability. Education also empowers children to recognise corrupt practices, and as they age into adulthood, to demand transparency from government institutions, and actively engage in civil society initiatives aimed at combating corruption.

How does NTS resist the culture of corruption?

NTS ensures that all students have a thorough understanding of corruption through the Civics curriculum, but we also lead by example. NTS refuses to give or accept bribes, and will never allow politicians to influence which young people are able to attend the school.

All staff, board members and staff are required to understand and sign our Anti-Corruption Policy, and any transgression is comprehensively enforced. We also require signing a comprehensive Conflict of Interest Policy, ensuring that everyone associated with NTS declares any association that may put them in conflict with the mission of the organisation.

References

¹ The Borgen Project, 10 Facts About Corruption in Kenya, https://borgenproject.org/10-facts-about-
corruption-in-kenya/
² Hope, Kenya’s Corruption Problem: Causes and Consequences,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267457638_Kenya%27s_corruption_problem_causes_and_conseq
uences
³ Cheruiyot, The Fight Against Corruption and Economic Crimes in Kenya: The Plight of EACC and Its Lack of
Prosecutorial Powers
⁴ Human Rights Watch, Kenya: Events of 2023, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-
chapters/kenya
⁵ The Conversation, William Ruto’s First Year: He Promised to Make Life Easier for Kenyans, but Things Got
Worse, https://theconversation.com/william-rutos-first-year-he-promised-to-make-life-easier-for-kenyans-
but-things-got-worse-215171
⁶ World Bank Blogs, Corruption in Kenya, https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/africacan/corruption-in-kenya
⁷ PBS, How Widespread Corruption is Hurting Kenya, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-widespread-
corruption-is-hurting-kenya
⁸ Gan Integrity, Kenya Risk Report, https://www.ganintegrity.com/country-profiles/kenya/
⁹ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, What Is Corruption and Why Should we Care?,
https://www.unodc.org/e4j/zh/anti-corruption/module-1/key-issues/effects-of-corruption.html
¹⁰ Mungai, How Corruption is Holding Back Sustainable Development in Kenya,
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-corruption-holding-back-sustainable-development-kenya-mungai/
¹¹ Gan Integrity
¹² Hope
¹³ Hope
¹⁴ International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Offshore Havens and Hidden Riches of World Leaders
and Billions Exposed in Unprecedented Leak, https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/global-
investigation-tax-havens-offshore/

¹⁵ Transparency International Kenya, Achieving Anti-Corruption Goals in Kenya Requires Collective Action,
https://tikenya.org/2023/12/08/achieving-anti-corruption-goals-in-kenya-requires-collective-action/
¹⁶ World Bank Blogs, Practical Mechanisms for Rooting Out Corruption, https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/youth-
transforming-africa/practical-mechanisms-rooting-out-corruption
¹⁷ The World Bank, Combatting Corruption,
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/governance/brief/combating-corruption