The Presidential Working Party on Education reforms has proposed the prohibition of the Public Service Commission from recruiting Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors of Universities.
In a report presented to President William Ruto, the reforms said the practice of involving PSC in recruiting top management of Universities has resulted in challenges in the governance of public Universities.
"The involvement of PSC in the appointment of top management of Universities in Kenya compromises their autonomy and should be discontinued," reads the statement.
They instead want university councils to carry out the recruitment and appointment of chancellors, principals of colleges and deputy principals in public universities without the involvement of PSC.
The reform said the board takes the lead in the search and identification of the right CEO.
"A healthy board or CEO relationship has a better chance of a good start when it is the board taking responsibility for the selection of the CEO," reads the report.
"In keeping with the fiduciary responsibility, a good board with the best interests of the organisation in mind will know who and how to find the leader who is the right fit for the organisation."
It added that continuous interaction between the board and the organisation enables the board to better understand the organisation’s challenges, performance, and opportunities.
"The board is, therefore, best suited to identify the right leader/CEO to take the organisation to the next level by addressing the challenges faced or identifying new opportunities," reads the report.
In addition, the reforms said the move will strengthen governance in the University sector and undertake amendments to the Universities Act amongst others.
Further, it stated that PSC is designed to recruit mainly for mainstream public service, while semi-autonomous agencies such as state corporations and universities, which are created by various legal instruments, give mandates to their respective boards to hire and fire their CEOs.
Vice chancellors, deputy vice chancellors, Principals and Deputy Principals of Constituent colleges for public Universities are usually appointed by Councils in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary after a competitive recruitment process conducted by PSC.
