This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
Universities in Kenya are bracing for a critical deadline of July 30, when they must submit detailed data to the Commission for University Education (CUE). This second report will play a crucial role in determining the viability of some institutions, with some potentially facing closure and others being merged.
Staff at these universities are anxious about the possibility of job losses, which could be triggered by the CUE report set to be submitted to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha by July 30.
According to Auditor-General Edward Ouko, a majority of public universities are insolvent due to debts and failure to meet their financial obligations. This has raised concerns about the quality of university education in the country.
University administrators have protested that the details being sought by the government require more time, but the government has ruled out any extra funding to public universities, saying they will have to make do with the Sh97 billion allocated to them.
As part of the reforms, universities are also required to declare their locations and provide information on the quality of their academic programmes, financial sustainability, duplication of academic programmes, and staffing. This data will be used to advise the CS on the quality of university education.
With over 27,000 staff in public universities, including 9,000 lecturers, the fate of these employees hangs in the balance. The University of Nairobi has already identified 20 programmes that will be phased out.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has vowed to oppose any merger, saying stakeholders have not been consulted. Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga questioned the logic behind merging insolvent universities, saying it will not make them financially sound.
