The councils for public universities have agreed to curb rampant expansion of university campuses, saying some of the new campuses are not adhering to standards.
In a report sent to newsrooms yesterday, the councils resolved to rationalise the campuses to ensure that they are in line with the universities standards and guidelines.
Public University Vice Chancellors’ Committee member Prof Francis Aduol, Kenyatta University Council Chairman Prof Shem Migot and Commission for University Education chairperson Prof Chacha Nyaigoti promised to streamline the sector.
The councils approved university education reform proposals presented to them by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i early this week at a Naivasha hotel.
Aduol observed that expansion of universities was not well rationalised.
“The councils therefore committed to rationalise established campuses, in line with available resources and international best practices,” said Aduol.
He continued: “The councils committed to monitor adherence to the Universities Standards and Guidelines on class size and student-staff ratios”.
The councils also pledged to promote national cohesion and integration in the universities by ensuring that the process of admitting students and employing staff meet the ethnic and gender threshold required by the Constitution.
“The participants observed that there was a weak system of embracing national cohesion and integration in the public universities in Kenya. The councils committed to promote this requirement,” said Aduol.
On his part, Chacha said that the councils would support the development of security systems to monitor the activities in the universities.
“Participants observed that universities are becoming potential grounds for national insecurity, radicalization, drug abuse, violent extremism as well as political and ethnic alliances,” said Chacha.
The councils promised to enhance learning environment in the institutions by carrying out audit of “soft issues”.
“We resolved to support development of institutional codes of conduct, through involvement of relevant stakeholders, including students,” said Migot.
Early this year, Matiang’i had threatened to crack whip on CUE for allegedly failing to curb deteriorating the status of university education.
Matiang’i challenged the commission to provide information of the size of classrooms, guidelines for administration of academic programmes, data of students’ academic qualifications and students’ management records.
