This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
Published on September 26, 2019, Moi University has embarked on a major overhaul to reduce costs and tackle its Sh2.7 billion debt.
The university has scrapped 30 departments, reducing them from 80 to 50, in a bid to cut costs. The decision was approved at a council meeting, with the management citing the need to bring efficiency to the institution.
Several departments have been merged, including Communication and Publishing and Media Studies, as well as Literature and Linguistics. Lecturers have also been moved and aligned with their qualifications at undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD level.
However, the changes have not been without controversy. On Thursday, several lecturers protested the transfers, claiming they were done without consultation and that some had been moved to departments they had never worked in.
But Vice-Chancellor Prof Isaac Kosgey defended the changes, saying they were aimed at bringing efficiency and cutting costs. ‘We are placing academic staff in the faculties where they are best qualified. These changes will be a game changer as it will ensure efficiency and cut costs,’ he said.
The university has been facing a cash crisis in recent years due to dwindling enrolment numbers. The institution has relocated several students and schools in an effort to address the issue.
But Moi University is not the only public university struggling. The University of Nairobi has scrapped over 40 courses following recommendations by the government, and the Ministry of Education is sitting on two reports that have recommended measures to rescue the university sector.
