Agency on the spot over ethnicity of varsity staff

Commission for University Education Chief Executive David Some. A crisis is looming in institutions of higher learning as colleges collaborating with universities in offering degree courses continue to admit students in spite of the June deadline FILE PHOTO |

What you need to know:

  • Prof Thairu said that the commission and the Education ministry had formed a committee to look into the appointments and employment of staff in public universities.

The university regulator was Thursday put on the spot by MPs over the ethnic composition of staff in universities.

The Parliamentary Committee on Education Committee asked Commission for University Education Chief Executive David Some and Chairman Henry Thairu to explain why universities have been hiring staff in a skewed manner.

The committee chair, Mr Julius Melly, named four universities that have been closed due to unrest caused by unfair appointments and promotions.

They include University of Eldoret, Kabianga, Multimedia and Moi.

“These institutions have issues of tribalism. Is the University Act being followed in the hiring?” asked Mr Melly.

LOOK INTO APPOINTMENTS

Prof Thairu said that the commission and the Education ministry had formed a committee to look into the appointments and employment of staff in public universities.

The committee was told that the public universities ethnic audit report conducted on the 68 universities and their constituent colleges revealed that staff “do not depict the face of Kenya.”

“Most come from the communities where the institutions are located,” added Prof Some.

Prof Thairu explained that some of the constituent colleges started as village polytechnics and that is why they are dominated by people of one tribe.