Lecturers fault Ruto on policy statements

• Union warns against funding cut, saying all university courses critical in national development

University lecturers on Tuesday cautioned Higher Education minister William Ruto against making policy decisions without consultations.

They particularly took issue with his announcement that the government would give priority to science and technology courses at the expense of disciplines like anthropology, history, philosophy and archaeology.

The Universities Academic Staff Union national organising secretary, Mr Musalia Edebe, said lecturers were not happy with the pronouncement.

“They are of the opinion that this courses are equally important as they produce the country’s human resource, work in museums, historical research and even management,” he said.

The minister was quoted as saying that university courses would be funded depending on how they contribute to creating the human resource needed for economic growth.

This, he said, was meant to develop skills required to attain Vision 2030, the socio-economic blueprint anchored in science and technology.

However, Mr Edebe said countries that have excelled did not shy away from investing in higher education or arts subjects.

He called for more funding of higher education to improve research. He said Kenya could not be compared to countries like America since it was still economically young and that human resource would be needed from all disciplines.

He said a programme covering up to 20 years should be prepared with the involvement of all stakeholders. He added that focusing on science and technology only would be counterproductive as the economy is driven by multiple variables.

“When we decide not to fund other programmes, it will be expensive as it will mean that in future expatriates would be employed to cover such fields,” he said.

However, Mr Ruto dismissed the criticism, saying he was implementing reports of two commissions.

“What I am doing at the moment is implementing recommendations of two reports which were conducted over the issue. Those who are criticising my decisions are people who do not want reforms in university education,” he said.

The minister said he made the decision after holding a meeting with vice-chancellors of public universities.

“How can they say that I never consulted whjen I had just held a meeting with vice chancellors?” he asked.