No more universities collaboration, CUE says

Kenya: Public universities have up to the end of this year to wrap up all local collaborations with post secondary school institutions, Commission for University Education (CUE) has announced.

CUE Chief Executive Officer David Some said after the expiry of the deadline only collaborations with foreign institutions will be allowed.

"I have communicated to them that the deadline for such arrangement is December 14, 2014 and after that we shall no longer allow local collaborations," said Prof Some.

The directive comes after Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi issued a stern letter to CUE to ensure no institution without formal registration is allowed to offer academic programmes in the country.

In his letter, Prof Kaimeyi instructed CUE to undertake an audit of the registered and unregistered institutions offering academic programmes in the country.

Official campuses

Sources indicate quality assurance concerns had been raised over collaborations, with reports that universities do not have the capacity to inspect post-secondary institutions. "The argument has been that academic leadership in these post-secondary institutions is wanting because lecturers are not hired by the university and the libraries are not to the standards of the host universities among other issues," said a senior official in one of the affected universities.

Prof Some said universities that want to continue collaborating with 'small local' institutions must make them their campuses first. "If they want to allow these institutions to offer their degrees then they must make them their official campuses and have full control of quality assurance," said Some.

He, however, said local institutions will be the ones to apply to the Commission for collaboration with foreign ones.

He added: "The senate of the degree awarding institutions is the one to apply because according to the law we will not allow post-secondary schools to apply any more."

He cites Section 28 of the Universities Act that spells out accreditation of foreign universities.

It says any university established outside Kenya, which intends to offer university education, shall apply to the Commission for accreditation in accordance with the provisions of Universities Act.

"A foreign university may, subject to the provisions of this Act, enter into an arrangement with an institution in Kenya for purposes of offering its programs or joint programs of instruction in Kenya, with the prior approval of the Commission," reads the Act.

Some said only foreign universities that have produced proof of accreditation from its home country to undertake university education shall be considered according to the law.

"Any person who purports to offer a degree through a university that is not accredited commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction, to a fine of not less that sh 10 million or to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years or both," reads section 28 (5) of the Act.