Dons reject WB proposal to increase varsity fees

University lecturers have opposed a plan proposed by the World Bank to have fees for students under the regular degree program increased.

Speaking in Eldoret during the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Moi University branch annual general meeting on Friday, national officials led lecturers into denouncing the proposal.

Secretary general Muga K’olale said there was likely to be discontent among students if the government goes ahead to implement the plan.

“It is bad policy which is likely to lead to student unrest”, he said at the Moi University Guest House.

He added that only vice chancellors were consulted leaving out the union and a majority of lecturers.

Professor Sammy Kubasu who is the UASU national chairman said the academic staff should be consulted on major policy issues . Present also was the national organising secretary Musalia Edebe.

Dr K’olale admitted that some lecturers were receiving bribes from well to do students in the self sponsored program to pass examinations.

“The students mainly from the disciplined forces and provincial administration do not have time to attend classes and are paying some lecturers to do theses and projects for them”, he added.

He asked where a district commissioner got time to attend to official duties and at the same time go to class.

He said he knows that this revelation would not go down well with those involved but that if he did not talk against it, then the Kenyan universities would be rated lowly.

He said the declining standards of education also had something to do with the creation of more colleges under the main universities.

“A lecturer attends a class in Mombasa, flies to Nairobi for another and again to Kisumu leaving him or her with little time to attend to classes. He said most lecturers had decided to prepare notes for students instead of physically attending classes.