The government has dismissed talks of an impending merger of public universities as part of higher education reforms, terming it a creation of the media.
But Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said the ministry will intensify the crackdown on 'bogus' courses offered by public universities without approval from the Commission for University Education.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee, Magoha said the government had not contemplated any proposals to merge public universities.
“The so-called issues of universities merger do not exist, it is a figment of the imagination of the press,” Magoha said.
He said that what his ministry was implementing is rationalisation and reformation of university education.
“I know of universities where people just sit down one morning and decide to start offering courses like Bachelor of Air Conditioning and Commission for University Education is not aware,” the CS said.
He said complaints about universities offering courses that do not attract students would not be the case once reforms take root.
“You can rest assured that in my reform plans I shall deal with them without fear or favour,” the CS said.
The CS did not, however, give any of the proposals the ministry is considering saying the matter is currently subject to litigation in the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
“In light of the ongoing dispute in court, I am therefore constrained in ventilating on its merits before this forum,” he said.
Universities Academic Staff Union had moved to court to stop the alleged merger which was meant to cut on costs.
Uasu sued Magoha and Attorney-General Kariuki Kihara.
The union argued that a number of public universities had already started dropping some disciplines, departments and schools in readiness of the proposed merger
Vice-chancellors of public universities had also rejected the plan to merge their institutions.
Instead, they asked for more state funding to carry out their mandates.
(edited by O. Owino)
