This archive report was first published on 30 July 2019.
On Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha addressed media practitioners in Nairobi, dismissing the opposition from vice-chancellors of public universities who are opposed to the merging of their institutions in the wake of financial crises.
Prof Magoha emphasized that the quality of education coming out of the universities is what matters, not the number of institutions. He stated that he was given instructions by President Kenyatta after his appointment that no more new universities should be established, and that sanity must be brought to the university education sector.
Prof Magoha had asked the Vice-chancellors to come up with a merger plan last month, but they rejected the idea, proposing instead that institutions be increased to 100 by 2030, citing the need to accommodate close to one million students.
However, Prof Magoha insisted that despite the Constitution providing that each county should have a university, it is not clear when that should be done, adding that it could be even after 100 years.
He also criticized universities that have created too many administrative positions, which he said are serving no purpose. Prof Magoha lauded Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, which has only one deputy vice-chancellor, and cited Oxford University as an example of a top university with a single vice-chancellor and 38 colleges.
Prof Magoha also expressed regret that universities are copying courses with the intention of making money, noting that some institutions have abandoned specialized courses they initially intended to offer.
He asked the Commission for University Education (CUE) to speed up preparation of its report on the merger of universities, saying it is overdue.
Prof Magoha also criticized universities for not allowing the Commission for University Education (CUE) to do its job, saying CUE should not allow the mounting of courses without proper human resource and infrastructures, and should also not allow duplication of courses in the institutions.
Universities have stepped up pressure on the government to increase fees paid by students, with the current tuition fees standing at Sh16,000 per year since 1989, which they say is grossly overdue for review.
