Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha Magoha has warned the management of public universities against arbitrary reforms without consulting relevant government bodies.
While acknowledging that universities urgently require reforms for Kenyans to get value for their money, Magoha said the restructuring must follow due process.
Magoha said he has not delegated the mandate of reforming institutions of higher learning to university councils nor Vice Chancellors.
Magoha’s remarks come barely days after the University of Nairobi announced radical reforms including the abolishment of offices, merger of functions and creation of others.
The university has abolished five offices of the Deputy Vice Chancellors and replaced them by two positions of associate Vice Chancellors.
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On July 15, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology main campus in Nyeri was closed indefinitely following student riots over fee increment.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ndirangu Kioni, stated in a memo to all students that the University senate had suspended all in-person lectures following a disruption of learning on Thursday.
“All the students should therefore vacate the main campus immediately and not later than 1.00pm today July 15, ” the University VC said. “Further communication will follow”
The students had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to compel the university administration against implementing the fee hike among other restructuring efforts at the institution.
UoN Vice Chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama recently said the recent fee increment will not apply to already admitted students but only to new ones seeking to join the institution henceforth.
Prof. Kiama, speaking on Citizen TV, sought to defend the fee review saying it was approved a long time ago and the institution is just implementing it.
