Parent sues Kaimenyi, AG over new universities law

NAIROBI: A decision by Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi to amend the Universities Act 2012 has landed him in court.

A parent moved to the High Court yesterday claiming that the amendments are likely to reduce competitiveness in institutions of higher learning. Peter Matu, who appeared before Justice Isaac Lenaola, claimed that the Act, as passed by Parliament and assented by President Uhuru Kenyatta supports self-regulation and could only impact negatively on university education standards.

In his case against Prof Kaimenyi, National Assembly Speaker Justine Muturi, Attorney General Githu Muigai and the Commission for University Education (CUE), Mr Matu argued that universities are likely to become purely commercial enterprises at the expense of quality of education.

"It (CUE) has made no obvious attempt to protect the high standards previously established under the law, choosing instead to acquiesce in its new role as a powerless, standby regulator," Matu argued.