University student leaders have been blamed for putting themselves on pedestals and locking out students they're supposed to represent.
A study released on Wednesday cited the general lack of student annual general meetings where students could raise problems and leaders address them.
The study recommends that student associations should hold consultations and students’ caucuses to increase transparency in unions.
The findings are contained in the CPS International report, 'The State of Student Unions in Kenyan Universities (2019)' to be released on Thursday.
"A proper way is needed to engage students after elections ... Student associations need to conduct annual general meetings and caucuses to effectively audit operations of the unions," lead researcher Herman Manyora said on Wednesday.
The report said students are generally satisfied with the election process as long as it is fair, democratic and transparent.
However, Manyora said corruption and bribery by candidates to win votes is still rampant. In the past there were more students to bribe, now the number is smaller.
The electoral college system came to force following amendment of the University Act in 2016 that focused on student leadership reforms.
Over the years, student leadership has been a thorn in the flesh of government and university management because of the immense influence they have on students.
The amendment called for a popular vote and secret ballot, as in Kenyan elections.
This was replaced by the current electoral college whereby the students in each faculty department elect a representative to vote on their behalf.
A push by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino earlier this year sought unsuccessfully to amend the Universities Act (2016) to allow students to elect their own leaders as in the past, with universal suffrage.
The survey involved 1,300 students in both private and public universities. In the report, Strathmore University, the United States International University and KCA University are the most satisfied with the Electoral College system of elections in universities.
It also indicates that the Technical University of Kenya and Machakos University are the two public universities that among the top five nationally in satisfaction of the new election system.
African Nazarene University, Mount Kenya University, South Eastern University of Kenya, University of Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology close the top 10 institutions nationally.
The system has been raised for promoting national diversity and reducing election violence during student polls.
(Edited by V. Graham)
