Storm over income from ‘parallel’ programme

SAM OTIENO

Controversy has hit the parallel degree programme at public universities on how to share the revenue generated from the course.

While both teaching and non-teaching staff, want the money distributed to all staff, university administrators have remained adamant that only service providers who work extra time will be paid.

This controversy came to the fore after Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology Prof Crispus Kiamba demanded an analysis of how much the public universities’ staff earn.

But the move has elicited controversy with Vice-Chancellors of public universities resisting any interference with how the money collected through the programme is spent.

Analysis Of Basic Pay

Public universities and university colleges collect more than Sh12 billion annually through the self-sponsored students.

"It has been found prudent that a detailed analysis of basic salary, allowances and any other payment made from internal incomes to academic/teaching, non teaching staff and management be availed from every university and university college," said Kiamba.

In a letter to Vice-Chancellors, Kiamba said the information will demonstrate the total packages employees of public universities currently earn.

"It will assist treasury in giving guidance on ceiling negotiations can offer," he said.

VCs on the other hand claim the money is already being shared with the service providers and that the programme is running smoothly.

Though the administrators do not have a uniform formula on how the money is distributed, they were in agreement that only those who provide extra services from their normal schedule would be compensated.

Increasing Student Numbers

According to Kiamba, a portion of this income from internal sources is paid back to service providers including lecturers, support staff, administration staff and management.

Kenya introduced ‘parallel’ programmes as a way of increasing student numbers without the Government having to provide the money to fund the expansion, which it could not afford.

The secretary general of the Universities Non Teaching Staff Union Dr Charles Mukhwaya said, "Administrators benefit from the funds yet they do not teach. It is only fair that the money is distributed to all staff equally since administrators enjoy it also but deny staff who don’t provide services to the self-sponsored students."

His Universities Academic Staff Union counterpart Prof Muga Korlale said not all money generated from the programme trickles down to the service providers.

Funds generated

According to University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Prof George Magoha, 30 per cent of funds generated through the self-sponsored students go to the service providers.

Higher education Assistant minister Dr Kilemi Mwiria said universities staff have the right to question how the money they generate is used.

"Not everybody should get the funds because they are paid according to their normal schedule but those who work extra hours as a result of parallel students then they get 30 per cent of the money generated," said Magoha.

He said, for instance, 30 per cent of the money generated by the School of Journalism at the university remains at the school while the university uses the rest for development purposes.

"The administration doesn’t follow up on how the 30 per cent in a department is shared among its members unless there is a problem. Similarly they shouldn’t bother with the 70 per cent used for university development," said Magoha.

The same trend applies at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

"In our case, 35 per cent remains with the owners of the programme while the rest is used to beef up Government capitation for the development of the university," said Prof Mabel Imbuga, VC of JKUAT.

Integrated with regular

According to Imbuga, every lecturer knows how many units he or she is supposed to teach but is paid an additional Sh2,000 if they teach an extra unit.

The case is different at Kenyatta University where parallel students are integrated with the regular students.

"Lecturers who teach their normal required units are paid their normal salary but those who teach an extra unit get Sh1,800 per extra unit," said KU VC Prof Olive Mugenda.

According to Mugenda, the university pays staff for work done and not the type of students taught.

The system was put in place in order to avoid a situation where two payrolls of staff exist.

"Each unit is 35 hours at the end of the semester which translates to Sh63, 000 more for any lecturer who teaches an extra unit," said Mugenda.

 

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