Varsities To Face Massive Student Enrollment in The Coming Years

Three years from now, the first class of pupils who enrolled in Class One under the free primary education programme will be sitting their KCSE examination.

Higher education experts say this class will pose the biggest headache for the country’s Higher Education ministry.

A report presented to the President by the Public Universities Inspection Board five years ago warned that a record 180,000 students who joined class one under the free primary education programme would score the minimum university grade of C+ in 2015.

The ministry of Higher Education puts the number at 150,000.

Currently, the seven public universities in the country can only admit a paltry 25,000 new students. And if the 2014 predictions are anything to go by, then at least seven new public universities will be needed to accommodate the huge numbers seeking university education.

Former Higher Education minister William Ruto had promised that the 20,000-capacity university would be in place by January this year. Now ministry officials say it might take longer

According to Higher Education assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria and permanent secretary Chrispus Kiamba, the country’s first online university is yet to receive Cabinet approval.

Another plan to more than double the number of public universities from seven to 16 by the end of this year is yet to kick off.

The seven public universities - Nairobi, Kenyatta, Moi, Egerton, Jomo Kenyatta, Maseno and Masinde Muliro - have an enrolment of 100,649 students.

Seven new public universities would double enrolment from the current 24,000.

But so far, none out of the 13 university colleges — Bondo, Chuka, Kimathi, Mombasa Poly, Kenya Polytechnic, Pwani, Multi-media, Kabianga, Laikipia, Narok, Meru, South Eastern and Kisii — has been elevated to a full-fledged university.

And according to the Higher Education ministry, only four of these are on course for full university status.

Plans for public universities to admit more students by delinking admission from bed-capacity have also largely stalled.

Dr Mwiria said public universities were reluctant to implement these recommendations for fear they would be forced them to reduce the number of students in the more lucrative parallel degree programmes.

Another plan for KCSE candidates who qualify for admission to join university as soon as the results are out is also a year behind schedule. A proposal to make this possible was to use existing private universities to absorb the large numbers.

But the Higher Education ministry says the plan needs major policy changes to implement as the government only funds students in public universities through the Joint Admissions Board.

Higher education policy has all but stalled. Two Bills that were expected to streamline university education and middle level colleges are still awaiting Cabinet approval three years after they were first mooted.

Experts say 2014 will merely be the climax of a crisis that is already unfolding as the number of students qualifying for university admission has been rising steadily over the years.