A tough talking Education Cabinet secretary Prof George Magoha has given the Commission for University Education (CUE) a three-month ultimatum to audit quality of degree programmes in the country and remove all dubious programs.
And to restore sanity in the higher learning institutions—many of which have been turned into degree kiosks to satisfy the appetite for papers—the CS also told the universities to focus and cut out niche for themselves.
Magoha advised universities to put their houses in order before the government moves in to fix them, saying it is time for “tough and painful” decisions.
“It is better to experience pain and gain later than stay with a moribund system,” he said. The CS made the remarks yesterday when he presided over the opening of Kenya Higher Education analytical work meeting at a Nairobi hotel, where he slammed vice chancellors who skipped the forum on critical policy issues.
At the same time, Magoha threatened to close down ballooning universities in the country while suspending setting of any public university.
“I have received requests to increase the number of universities… you must apply the breaks,” said Prof Magoha.
He said there is no reason to have six universities in the same place teaching the same thing.
“No money will come from government to support you,” Prof Magoha told the university administrators.
Currently, Kenya has 22 public universities, 14 chartered private universities and 13 universities with Letter of Interim Authority (LIA).
These universities are established through institutional Acts of Parliament under the Universities Act, 2012 which provides for the development of university education, the establishment, accreditation and governance of universities.
According to a 2004 report on reforming higher education in Kenya, the rapid expansion of university education in the country was a spontaneous response to the increasing demand for higher education necessitated by the increasing flow of students from schools.
However, these has led to mushrooming of rogue universities making the move unsustainable.
Some of the 133 courses scrapped by Commission of University Education include:
- Bachelor of Art (Homescience)
- Bachelor of science in Aerospace Sciences in Logistics
- Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences in Piloting
- Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Security
- Leadership and Health Services Management
- Clinical Nutrition
- Public Health Nutrition
- Community Health and Development
- Bachelor of arts (history)
- Bachelor of Maritime Management
- Bachelor of Aviation Management
- Bachelor in Agricultural Economics
- Sc. (Biochemistry)
- Sc. (Botany)
- Sc. (Chemistry)
- Sc. (Mathematics)
- Sc. (Physics)
- Sc. (Zoology)
- BSc in Agricultural Biotechnology
- BSc in Agricultural Extension Education
- BSc in Science (Rural Sociology)
- BSc in Seed Science
- BSc in Soil Science
- BSc in Irrigation and Land Use Management
- BSc in Crop Production
- BSc in Food nutrition
- BSc in Dry Lands and Sustainable Agriculture
- BSc in Management
- BSc international Diplomacy
- BSc Community Health
- BA Economics
- BA Political science
- BA Banking and Finance
- BA Religion
- BA Real Estate Management
- BA Tourism
- BA Hospitality Management
- Bsc Range Land and Wildlife Management
- Bsc Peace Science
- Bsc Leather and Textile Technology
- BSc Linguistics
- BA Anthropology
- Bsc Sport Science
- BA Mass Communication
- Life science
- BA Marriage Counselling.
- BA Conflict Management
- BA Front Office Management