CHE faulted over college raids

The Vision 2030 directorate has called for a well-planned elevation of tertiary colleges to universities, even as orders for elevation of Narok, Kisii and Dedan Kimathi colleges to fully fledged universities by Commission for Higher Education (CHE) seemed certain.

The CHE has also earmarked five other mid-level colleges to be elevated to university-college status, bringing the number of such institutions to 20.

They include Kibabii Diploma Teachers, Kirinyaga Institute of Technology, Garissa Teachers Training, Taita Taveta and Machakos Teachers Training.

The country’s development blueprint director-general, Mr Mugo Kibati, said the tertiary institutions trained middle level human resources crucial in the realisation of Vision 2030.

“Mid-level human resources are extremely important to the realisation of Vision 2030,” Mr Kibati said, noting that in fact, their expertise was highly needed just like the graduates.

According to him, for instance, a university engineering graduate needs support skills from five mid-level personnel to effectively work in an industry.

“We therefore need to rapidly multiply both the expertise — those of graduates and also the tertiary human resources — to achieve our key development goals.”

Currently there are seven public universities in the country — Nairobi, Kenyatta, Moi, Egerton, Maseno, Masinde Muliro and Jomo Kenyatta.

But with the elevation of Narok, Kisii and Dedan Kimathi colleges, the number is set to increase to ten.

There are 47 government tertiary colleges (including the 19 teachers training colleges) but now 20 have been taken over by the universities.

Such mid-level labourers as artisans and craftsmen risk being phased out given the rate at which universities were taking over tertiary colleges where their skills are nurtured.

Mr Kibati noted that the expansion needed to be done in a careful manner lest the country lost mid-level human resources.

CHE noted that the stage was set for the elevation of the institutions as soon as the assent by the President has been given, and subsequent publication of a gazette notice placed to operationalise them.

“The demand for higher education in the country remains very high against the few available institutions authorised to offer university education,” CHE boss Everret Standa said.

Besides the public universities there are 14 chartered private universities and 10 with Letters of Interim Authority and two universities with certificates of registration.

This gives a cumulative total of 48 universities authorised to operate in Kenya.

“The 48 universities can still not cope with the over 97,000 students who attained the minimum university entry grade of C+ and above in Form Four.”

The Joint Admissions Board (JAB), that admits students to public universities, only admitted 32,611 students out of the 97,000 who qualified.