Thousands of Kenyans aspiring to earn diplomas and certificates from public universities may need to seek alternative institutions following a recent move by Parliament. A House committee has approved a bill that, if passed into law, would prevent public universities from offering these academic programs, limiting them to only postgraduate diplomas and certificates.
The bill, introduced by Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru, has sparked significant debate. If enacted, it would block public universities from offering diploma and certificate courses, in line with recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), which suggested universities should focus solely on degree programs to maintain quality standards.
The Departmental Committee on Education and Research, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, gave the green light to the Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The committee emphasized that universities’ involvement in diploma and certificate courses has led to inconsistencies in course content and duration, as well as duplication of roles with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The report stated that this has caused congestion in universities and the underutilization of resources.
Gathiru’s bill specifically targets the confusion created by overlapping certification responsibilities between universities and TVET institutions. It proposes that only postgraduate programs should be offered by universities, leaving certificates and diplomas to be awarded by specialized institutions such as TVET colleges. This shift, the bill’s sponsor argues, would help streamline educational offerings and boost enrollment in TVET institutions, which often suffer from low enrollment despite substantial government investment.
“Limiting certificate and diploma courses to technical and vocational colleges will increase enrollment in these institutions, which are often under-enrolled,” Gathiru said during his presentation to the committee.
Additionally, the committee deleted proposed amendments in two separate bills that would have harmed private universities. One bill, sponsored by Bumula MP Wamboka Wanami, sought to prevent the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) from placing students in private universities, potentially denying these institutions government funding. The committee argued that private universities should continue to receive government grants, which support research and development that benefits the public. Furthermore, the committee rejected a proposal by Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka that would have cut government funding to private universities, arguing that the grants help advance national development.
The committee also took issue with proposed changes to KUCCPS’s structure, which would have removed two private university representatives from its board. The MPs argued that this would harm private universities, as KUCCPS plays a crucial role in advising on student placements and maintaining a database of available university programs.
Despite these challenges, the committee noted that under the new funding model, KUCCPS has already stopped placing government-sponsored students in private universities over the past two years. This shift has significantly reduced funding for these institutions, and further amendments to restrict government support could further strain their operations.
In summary, the committee’s approval of the Universities (Amendment) Bill signals a major shift in Kenya’s higher education landscape, aiming to refine the roles of public universities and TVET institutions, while ensuring that private universities continue to receive support for their vital research and development contributions.
