MoE wants Vice Chancellor Appointment body
The Ministry of Education is considering the establishment of an organisation that would be responsible for the selection of chancellors for public universities. These chancellors are going to be appointed by the Cabinet Secretary. This ministry would like for this group to provide three recommendations to the President of the country.
The notion that governance issues have a detrimental effect on the performance of Kenyan universities serves as the inspiration for this concept. This perspective has been widely held.
In addition, the ministry has voiced its concerns regarding the participation of the Public Service Commission (PSC) in the recruitment of senior executives for universities.
This new development comes at a time when universities are struggling under the weight of a significant debt that has surpassed Sh62 billion. As a result, institutions are unable to fulfil their responsibilities to suppliers or fulfil necessary deductions.
According to statements made by Ezekiel Machogu, the Chief Secretary for Education, governance problems have been a contributing factor in the poor performance of public universities in worldwide rankings, particularly in research and innovation.
In order to address these issues, he is proposing amendments to the Universities Act of 2012, one of which would make it possible for selection panels to be responsible for the appointment of chancellors.
The CS stressed in his address before the Senate Committee on Education that the engagement of the PSC has reduced university autonomy and is part of a bigger movement to restructure higher education administration in the country. The remark was given in response to a question from the committee.
