Matiang’i halts creation of varsity satellite campuses
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i (right) with Prof Chacha Nyaigoti Chacha, the chairman of the Commission on University Education at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies on November 15, 2017. Dr Matiang’i announced that public universities will not be allowed to set up more satellite campuses. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Dr Matiang’i said the universities will now be required to focus on strengthening the existing campuses.
- The minister has also announced that staff in public universities will be hired on contract.
- He said those to be affected are mostly the non-teaching staff and lecturers in lower cadres.
The Ministry of Education has stopped public universities from setting up more satellite campuses with immediate effect.
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the universities will now be required to focus on strengthening the existing campuses.
Speaking Wednesday at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies during a meeting to review the growth of public universities in the country, Dr Matiang’i said the decision had been arrived at due to the haphazard way in which those campuses are being set up.
“Some of these campuses are being set up on top of bars while others have no essential facilities and we will not allow it anymore,” said the Education minister.
He disclosed that since February 21017, several satellite campuses have been closed down.
CONTRACT TERMS
At the same time, Dr Matiang’i announced that staff in public universities will be hired on contract and not permanent and pensionable terms as has been the case.
He said those to be affected are mostly the non-teaching staff and lecturers in lower cadres.
“We want to measure the productivity of these staff by putting them on contracts. Universities have now been turned into employment bureaus without looking at the benefits that these staff bring to the institutions,” said the CS.
He directed an audit of staff who were absorbed by Murang’a University, Technical University of Kenya and Technical University of Mombasa, with the intention of reducing the number of mostly non-teaching staff.
