Political leaders better understand the consequences of destroying education. These leaders have a duty to protect and consolidate the tradition of their predecessors.
Roads are fine, power connections are great, but education is a national imperative. President Moi, even with his sparse formal education, and President Kibaki expanded the scope of higher education. President Uhuru Kenyatta has a duty to stop the paralysis in public universities. The President can, and should, address the crisis.
Educated citizens should consider these questions: Where would you be without formal education? Where would ranting legislators be without university education? Why are we riding on skewed priorities?
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen would probably be a cattle rustler in the Kerio Valley. Senator James Orengo would probably be a fisherman in Lake Victoria. National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale would probably be a charcoal trader in Garissa. Minority leader John Mbadi would probably be a ‘jaboya (fisherman)’ at Sindo Beach.
Education has made all the difference. But these leaders are politicking in Nairobi as the management of education flounders. Vice chancellors warn public universities could close down in 12 months, unless there is a recasting of national priorities. Education, which is running on autopilot, should be a top priority.
Learned citizens do not make claims without evidence. VCs know and understand cause and effect. They have a just cause. They know the consequences of neglecting education generally, and public universities particularly. Leaders are denying the youth the benefits of quality education — the universal equaliser. There is no excuse for this dereliction of duty. VCs are crying because the academic ladder is being dismembered deliberately. The losers are the youth.
The government does not know how to pass the buck on this one. It is at the centre of the conundrum. It created the crisis, and has the capacity to resolve the challenge. All it takes is goodwill, and sealing the loopholes of pilferage of public money. The government finds it hard to sustain appropriate capitation for public universities. The mass enrolment of government-sponsored top and C-grade students further complicates matters.
The challenge is feeding universities on rations that do not consider their growth, student populations, teaching courses, and unique research needs. But the government won’t admit the strain of sustaining 650,000 students, up from a paltry 38,000 17 years ago. Falling tax revenues and corruption leave a bleeding Treasury. The government should address the crisis. But capitation deficits are symptoms of a bigger challenge. The ministry knows there is no need to reinvent the wheel. It knows what needs to be done.
Former Education CS Fred Matiang’i must have handed over reports on resolving these challenges to CS Amina Mohamed and her team at Jogoo House. They need the will to respect the Universities Act 2012, which defines the mandate of university councils. The councils should be facilitated to run these institutions.
The indebtedness of public universities underlines the neglect: Universities owe regulators more than Sh7 billion, and another Sh4 billion in salary arrears. Universities also owe state agencies and third party deductions amounting to billions of shillings.
The Sh10 billion heist at the NYS is more than enough to clear this debt. The Sh5 billion reported looted at Afya House is more than enough to salvage public universities from some debts. The challenge is not money — it is corruption and compromised priorities. “We are waiting for the shutdown. The red line was crossed long ago and all universities are operating in crisis,” said Prof Francis Aduol, chairman of vice chancellors committee, during a meeting last week to lobby Parliament to intervene to end the crisis.
The alternative is for the government to pay market-rate fees for all its sponsored students, considering their unique course needs, then allow university councils to manage the institutions in a way that protects their autonomy. Any other way subverts the quality of education, denies academic freedom and robs universities of their place in a civilised society.