NAIROBI, Kenya – The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) has come out to strongly deny viral claims that it is shutting down amid financial difficulties.
This follows the circulation of a letter dated April 17, 2025, alleging the institution had been declared insolvent and would soon close down.
However, in a statement, TUK dismissed the viral letter as fake.
“Treat this document circulated online as FAKE; the university has not been closed. Classes and normal operations are on,” the institution posted on its official X account (formerly Twitter).
In the letter seen by Y News, the author(s) claimed that following the declaration of insolvency by Parliament and the institution’s financial crisis, all students, staff, and stakeholders were being notified that TUK shall be closed with immediate effect from Monday, April 21, 2025.
“The university will remain closed for three (3) months, or until a satisfactory agreement has been reached on the way forward. During this time, no one will be allowed on the university premises. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work towards resolving the institutional financial challenges,” reads the letter allegedly written by TUK deputy vice chancellor Prof. Benedict Mutua.
What is the main cause behind TUK’s debt
Y News understands that TUK is drowning in debt and is unable to pay salaries.
Furthermore, the crisis is largely blamed on a bloated workforce that exceeds its operational capacity, which consumes Sh 270 million every month. The institution has not remitted statutory deductions for years.
Both former and current management face tough questions over how the institution sank into billions in debt.
This is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the charter of the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) and diminish it to a TVET which will be labeled the ‘best in Africa’. The Minisitry of Education knows what I am talking about.Your guess is as good as mine on who is behind it.
The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Governance was this week stunned to learn that TUK’s staff, including lecturers, haven’t received their full salaries since 2013, the year the institution was awarded full university status and a charter.
Since 2013, the staff have not received their gross salaries. The money that has been coming has not been enough to pay,” said Prof. Mutua.
Why TUK has sunk into a financial crisis
The primary reason is overemployment. TUK has reportedly hired more staff than it needs, and the financial strain has made it impossible to meet salary obligations.
“One of our biggest problems is our wage bill, which is too huge compared to the size of the students that we have. These salaries are expected to be Sh272 million per month, which we get in the form of government capitalisation, and it is not enough,” added Prof. Mutua.
Treat this document circulated online as FAKE, the University has not been closed. Classes and normal operations are on
That is not all; the university has failed to remit employee deductions for years, more than Sh5 billion in pension funds cannot be accounted for, and overall debts have ballooned to beyond Sh12 billion.
“It is not like we didn’t pay statutory deductions, but I can’t remember offhand,” said Francis Oduor, former deputy vice chancellor of TUK. “We have never paid statutory deductions in full. We have been having payment plans.”
The committee declared the university insolvent and directed government auditors to immediately audit TUK’s financial management within three months, as it holds talks with the Ministry of Education on how to handle the university’s crisis that threatens to stall all the activities at the institution.
