Appoint substantive vice chancellors to run varsities

The imminent departure of several vice chancellors at the expiry of their terms has brought to the fore a disturbing aspect of public university management in Kenya. Today, there are at least 10 non-substantive vice chancellors in our public universities. The limitations that come with acting capacities in such institutions impact negatively on their growth, not least because acting Vice Chancellors cannot exercise full power. Vice chancellors are not only the chief administrative officers of their institutions, they chair the university councils and the finance committees and must therefore be able to exercise full powers to get things moving.

Political meddling in the affairs of institutions of higher learning has also had its negative effects on our public universities.