By Christopher Omondi.
Kisumu National Polytechnic is a technical and vocational education institution in Kisumu County. The institution offers a wide range of diploma and certificate courses, and has been in operation for decades. However, in recent times, learning at the institution has been paralyzed over a student strike that has been ongoing for a week now.
The student unrest began on 15th September 2025, when students started protesting over several grievances against the school administration. According to the Kisumu National Polytechnic Students Association (KINAPOSA), which is the student leadership body at Kisumu National Polytechnic, their grievances include fee discrepancies, corruption and mismanagement, delayed academic processes, and harassment claims, with the students calling for the immediate resignation of the Principal, Madam Catherine Kelonye, and Finance manager Mr. Paul Maher
“They are hiking fees for students. The last time we went to the Principal Madam Kelonye’s office to ask why the fee structure is reading KSHS 67,000 while in the portal it’s reading KSHS 88,000, she said that was a typing error that was going to be corrected. The question we are asking now is, who is taking this money? Right now, the modularized students, if you see their fee structure, it’s reading KSHS 35,000, whereas in the portal it’s reading KSHS 40,000, and again they are telling us it’s a mistake that is going to be corrected. What is the motive with the extra KSHS 5,000? We are requesting the government agencies to come to Kisumu National Polytechnic to investigate this high-end corruption that the Principal, Madam Kelonye, and the Finance Manager, Mr. Maher, are doing at this institution, as we demand their stepping aside from their respective roles.” This was by Silas Adem, the Chairperson of KINAPOSA.
The week-long unrest at the institution led to its closure on the 19th September 2025, by the Chief Principal, a move that was not welcomed well by the students who vowed to keep fighting for good services that they pay for in terms of school fees.
Much of the blame was pushed to the administration for the delay of academic and even co-curricular processes as the students explained at their week-long protests that involved arrests and harassment from the police at the Jomo Kenyatta Kisumu Sports Ground.
“We have experienced delays in accessing attachment forms and this affect students who are left stranded during attachments, the institutions support to co-curriculum activities was also mentioned with almost all clubs and societies dormant yet the students pay for activity fees as part of the school fees and this move infringes learners of their rights’’, this is according to Pinto Collins who is a student.
For the order to be restored at the institution, the County Director for Technical and Vocational Education and Training(TVET), together with the Board of Management, should work closely with the school administration and the office of the Auditor General to ensure the allegations raised by the students concerning the administration are thoroughly investigated and perpetrators brought to book so that learning can resume.
