NITA Under Fire as MPs Expose Multimillion Shilling Scandals and Questionable Land Transactions

The National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) found itself in the eye of a storm yesterday as Members of Parliament unleashed a barrage of questions over alleged financial mismanagement, missing millions, and controversial land deals that have left taxpayers counting the cost of institutional failure.

During a heated session before the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, chaired by Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe, NITA officials struggled to provide satisfactory explanations for a litany of financial irregularities that paint a disturbing picture of an organization hemorrhaging public resources.

The most damning revelation centered on Ksh355 million that remained unspent during the 2016/2017 financial year, representing a staggering 21 percent of NITA’s entire budget. When pressed for explanations, authority officials offered what lawmakers described as “shallow and disorganized” responses that failed to address the gravity of the financial gaps.

But the unspent funds were just the tip of the iceberg. The parliamentary probe unearthed a web of financial misconduct that includes missing cheques worth Ksh12.8 million allegedly connected to fraudulent activities by a former employee. The scandal deepens with revelations of irregular staff advances totaling Ksh44.5 million and uncollected training levies worth Ksh18.3 million from defaulting employers who appear to have escaped accountability.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the NITA saga involves a controversial land transaction in Mombasa that has all the hallmarks of insider dealing. The authority allegedly transferred prime land to unnamed private developers in exchange for a property in Bombolulu. However, the replacement property had been occupied by squatters since 1996, effectively leaving NITA empty-handed while private developers walked away with valuable public assets.

“We need to know who this powerful private developer is and under what circumstances this allocation was made,” Wangwe demanded, his frustration evident as NITA officials failed to identify the beneficiaries or provide any documentation related to the transaction. The inability to name the developers has raised suspicions of high-level collusion and deliberate concealment of information.

The audit findings reveal an institution plagued by systemic failures in asset management. NITA could not present a complete fixed assets register, a basic requirement for any organization handling public resources. More alarmingly, ownership documents for major properties were missing, including land parcels and a motor vehicle donated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

These lapses suggest either gross incompetence or deliberate attempts to obscure the paper trail of public asset management. The missing documentation makes it virtually impossible to track how public resources have been utilized or misappropriated over the years.

The parliamentary committee’s patience wore thin as NITA officials continued to fumble through their presentations. “These submissions are not sufficient. We cannot proceed with such shallow responses to serious audit queries involving public funds,” Wangwe stated firmly, reflecting the growing frustration among lawmakers who expected detailed accountability for taxpayer money.

The inadequate preparation by NITA officials forced the committee to adjourn the session, ordering the authority to reorganize and return with comprehensive documentation by October 1, 2025. This gives NITA just two weeks to compile the information that should have been readily available, raising questions about the organization’s record-keeping and internal controls.

The NITA scandal represents more than just institutional failure; it reflects a broader pattern of impunity within Kenya’s public sector where officials appear confident they can operate without meaningful oversight. The authority’s mandate to train and equip the workforce makes these revelations particularly troubling, as millions meant for skills development may have been diverted into private pockets.

The timing of these revelations could not be more significant. As Kenya grapples with high unemployment rates and skills gaps in its workforce, the mismanagement of resources at NITA undermines the country’s human capital development efforts. Every shilling lost to corruption or mismanagement represents missed opportunities for training programs that could have transformed lives and boosted economic productivity.

For Parliament, the NITA case presents a crucial test of its oversight function. The Public Investments Committee’s findings will only be meaningful if they translate into concrete action against those responsible for the financial hemorrhaging. The public will be watching to see whether powerful individuals behind these questionable deals face consequences or whether the matter becomes another case of parliamentary sound and fury signifying nothing.

NITA’s inability to provide basic documentation suggests that the rot may be deeper than currently revealed, potentially involving other transactions and financial irregularities yet to be uncovered.

As October 1 approaches, NITA officials will need to do more than simply compile missing documents. They must demonstrate a genuine commitment to transparency and accountability that goes beyond damage control. The authority’s response will signal whether this is an isolated case of poor governance or symptomatic of deeper institutional capture by vested interests.

For ordinary Kenyans struggling with economic challenges, the sight of millions being mismanaged while essential services remain underfunded represents a betrayal of the social contract between government and citizens.

The ball is now in Parliament’s court to ensure that this investigation leads to meaningful reforms and accountability measures that can restore public confidence in institutions mandated to serve the people’s interests.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​