The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) has issued a clarification after reports circulating on social media indicated that it has been closed down.
The institution, in a statement issued via social media on the night of Friday, April 18, 2025, flagged down a viral notice that had indicated that TUK had been temporarily closed after parliament declared it insolvent over a Ksh12 billion debt.
The university warned the members of the general public to treat the document as fake, noting that classes and normal operations at the institution were on.
“Treat this document circulated online as FAKE; the university has not been closed. Classes and normal operations are on,” TUK clarified.
The flagged document had indicated that the closure would take effect from April 21, 2025, for a period of three months.
TUK declared insolvent
This comes days after the financial rot at the institution came under the spotlight, as both past and current administrators faced tough questions over how the institution sank into billions in debt.
The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Administration was stunned to learn that TUK staff – including lecturers – haven’t received their full salaries since 2013, the year the institution was awarded full university status and a charter.
TUK Deputy Vice Chancellor Benedict Mutua attributed the issue to overemployment.
“Our biggest challenge is having too many staff. The government gives us Ksh63 million monthly, but we need Ksh270 million to cover salaries,” Mutua told the parliamentary committee on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
It also emerged that the university has failed to remit employee deductions for years, with more than Ksh5 billion in pension funds not accounted for and overall debts ballooning beyond Ksh12 billion.
“I honestly can’t remember the last time we remitted deductions… To be honest, we haven’t paid any since the university became a fully chartered institution,” former TUK Deputy Vice Chancellor Francis Oduor, who also appeared before the parliamentary committee, said.
The committee was forced to declare the university financially insolvent and directed government auditors to immediately investigate TUK’s financial management within three months, as it holds talks with the Ministry of Education on how to handle the TUK crisis that threatens to completely stall all activities at the institution.
Strike
The development comes barely a month after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced an end to the long-standing strike by the TUK staff.
Ogamba, in a statement issued via his official social media accounts on Monday, March 17, 2025, said that he had witnessed the signing of the return-to-work formula for staff at TUK, putting an end to the strike that had paralyzed learning at the institution since January 23, 2025.