Moi University crisis offers chance for a turnaround

Moi University has a compelling motto: ‘Foundation of Knowledge’. Started over three decades ago with a population of only 83 students, the current student population of 43,000 attests to the fact that the university has made major contributions to Kenya’s human capital needs and is a key tributary to the global intellectual basin.

However, recent reports have it that the university has plunged in to an abyss of mismanagement. Like many local universities, Moi is limping along the road that could plunge the country into an intellectual apocalypse. But that need not be the case. The challenges public universities are facing present them with a window of opportunity to demonstrate there is nothing more practical than a good theory.

The financial crises, managerial conundrums of balancing academic and administrative interests, the human capital complexities and the student-society expectations, among others, have given dons sleepless nights. Recent reports show these challenges are getting the better side of our intellectual vanguards.

In his Oration Speech delivered on November 17, acting VC Laban Ayiro said the university is in a deep financial quagmire. Audits show the university may have lost up to Sh1 billion in questionable deals. It is shocking that the university operates 56 bank accounts which have been used to swindle it.

But this crisis offers an opportunity to turn the situation into a platform for intellectual splendour and societal nourishment.

I am excited by the possibility of the university leading innovation in this meta-field as it could provide answers to many other societal challenges Kenya faces.