GLANCE FACTS
Kenyatta University, has 38 per cent from VC's tribe, a
University of Nairobi too has 38 percent staff from VC's tribe
Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology has 49.7 per cent staff from one community
Egerton University has 25.9 per cent of staff from one community
Moi University has 55 per cent of the staff from VC's tribe.
Masinde Muliro University has 68.9 per cent staff from one tribe.
Out of the 14,996 workers in the institutions Kikuyu are the majority at 4,133 (27.6 per cent), Luhya 2,544 (17.0 per cent), Kalenjin 2,133 (14.2), Luo 2,086 (13.9 per cent) and Kisii 1,253 (8.4 per cent).
By PETER OPIYO
The government would embark on a major reshuffle of the public universities’ top management as it strives to address the problem of ethnicity that has dogged the institutions of higher learning.
The move is informed by ethnic composition audits that returned worrying verdicts describing the universities as incubators of ethnicity. The audits were conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, but it is only the latter that has been made public.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunity the institutions’ representatives and the Ministry of Higher Education acknowledged that indeed the institutions have a problem that must be addressed.
Higher Education Assistant Minister Dr Kilemi Mwiria told the Mohamed Affey-led committee that the government would reshuffle the Universities Councils, the bodies that run the universities, as it begins to address the problem of ethnicity.
“The ministry shall reshuffle the current council members to reflect ethnic balance and ensure all communities are represented on university councils,” said Dr Mwiria.
He said the exercise will be completed in three years and annual monitoring mechanisms put in place to ensure staff and student compositions reflect the face of Kenya. Current appointments of the council members would also have a national outlook. Mr Affey urged the government to also reshuffle the Vice Chancellors in the move to address the problem.
Dr Mwiria also said incentives would be offered to university dons who choose to teach in disadvantaged institutions as the government seeks to address the ethnic balance.
“The ministry would provide tax incentives for University dons who choose to offer services at disadvantaged institutions,” said Mwiria.
The NCIC’s audit released in March revealed that the institutions have become incubators of ethnicity and are in total violation of the Constitution that demands ethnic and gender balance for all public appointments.
According to the audit conducted in six public universities and nine constituent colleges, majority of staff either come from the same ethnic group as the Vice-Chancellor, the principal or the locality of the institution.
Maseno University did not respond as the Vice Chancellor was yet to settle in his new job. Rongo and Chuka colleges were also left out, as they had not been gazetted at the time of the audit.
