Bill to give CUE powers over courses

Professional bodies in the country will be locked out of degree programmes accreditation in universities and the task will be handled solely by Commission for University Education (CUE) if a new Bill is passed.

The Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2015, now gives powers to CUE to accredit and inspect university programmes in Kenya.

The 17 professional bodies that include Engineers Board of Kenya, Legal Council of Education among others will have no role in what is taught in universities.

At the moment several courses that include law, engineering, medicine and pharmacy offered in a number of universities have been suspended due to concerns about quality of their graduates.

These programmes were suspended by professional bodies after it emerged that the institutions have no capacity in terms of human resource and facilities to offer them.

In the amendment Bill, the commission will be required to undertake regular inspections, monitoring and evaluation of universities to ensure compliance with set standards and guidelines.

It is also only the commission that will approve mounting of new programmes by universities.

The Bill also seeks to amend the Kenya School of Law Act and provide for the membership of the Secretary to the Commission on the Council of the School.

Meanwhile, CUE has asked universities to recall students.