Bill seeks to strip professional bodies from accrediting university courses
Commission for University Education Chief Executive Officer David Some. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- If passed into law, the 2015 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill gives powers to CUE to accredit and inspect university programmes in Kenya.
- At the moment, several courses offered by a number of universities — including law, engineering, medicine and pharmacy — have been suspended due to concerns about the quality of their graduates.
- The programmes were suspended by professional bodies after it emerged that the institutions did not have enough human resources and facilities to offer the courses.
- CUE will collect, disseminate and maintain data on university education, accredit universities, regulate university education and promote quality research and innovation.
Professional bodies in the country may be locked out of accrediting university degree programmes and the task would be handled solely by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
If passed into law, the 2015 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill gives powers to CUE to accredit and inspect university programmes in Kenya.
The 17 professional bodies, including the Engineers Board of Kenya and the Council of Legal Education, will have no role in determining what is taught at universities.
At the moment, several courses in a number of universities — including law, engineering, medicine and pharmacy — have been suspended due to concerns about the quality of their graduates.
The programmes were suspended by professional bodies after it emerged that the institutions did not have enough human resources and facilities to offer the courses.
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 the only commission that will approve new programmes by universities.
SCHOOL OF LAW ACT
The Bill also seeks to amend the Kenya School of Law Act and provide for membership of the CUE secretary on the school’s council.
CUE will collect, disseminate and maintain data on university education, accredit universities, regulate university education and promote quality research and innovation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, provided for under any other written law, the commission shall be the only body with the power to perform the functions set out in this section,” states the Bill
The vice-chancellor of a public university will hold office for a term of five years and will be eligible for a further term of five years.
The amendment by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale is expected to end the rift between the commission and professional bodies over university education.
Meanwhile, CUE has asked universities that have sent home students due to the accreditation crisis to recall them.
“The commission advises the senates of the affected universities to exercise the powers in them and in the best interests of the students,” said CUE chief executive officer David Some in a public notice.
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
Prof Some insisted that the commission would ensure that all degree programmes offered by universities are of high quality.
He said CUE would work with professional bodies to uphold, maintain and ensure quality education at Kenyan universities.
Technical University of Kenya, Egerton University and Masinde Muliro University are some of the institutions whose engineering students are still at home due to the crisis.
