Commission puts operators of ‘dubious’ varsities on notice

Operators of local and foreign institutions of higher education that offer unauthorised programmes will be prosecuted and face hefty fines once proposed regulations for the sector become law, the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) has said.

Prof Ezra Maritim, the chairman of the commission, on Friday said that the sectors’s regulator is looking forward to the enactment of the Universities Bill, 2012.

The Bill, once it becomes law, intends to place both public and private universities under supervision.

He said the commission is not against establishment of universities, adding that each of the 47 counties is expected to have one, but all institutions of higher learning will be required to follow strict rules and standards.

“The regulator is proposing that stiffer penalties be meted out to those local and foreign higher education institutions that con Kenyans into believing they are authorised to offer university education in the country,” said Prof Maritim.

Last Friday, the commission allowed two new private universities to offer degree programmes, a move that increased the number of universities to 36. Riara University, which is located on Mbagathi Way and Pioneer International University in Ngara were issued with letters of interim authority.

This now allows them to set up a governing body, develop physical facilities, get academic resources, advertise their programmes and admit students. ‘‘Some ‘universities’ do not exist in countries where they claim to originate from.

Prospective students need to consult the regulator before enrolling,’’ Prof Maritim said.

Degree programmes

“For those who have fallen prey to these merchants of deceit, their certificates are worthless despite years of toil and exorbitant cost of the education they received,” he added.

A total of 411,783 candidates sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) and 41,879 met the cut off mark for admission into local public universities.

This means that 90 per cent of those who sat KCSE exam and are seeking to pursue degree programmes will need to look for alternative places either through the parallel programmes in public universities or pursue higher education in private universities.

Interim authority

Prof Everett Standa, chief executive officer and secretary of CHE, said that the institution will not entertain universities that compromise on the country’s quality of education.

“Any university operating in the country illegally is being put on notice.

It is the intention of the commission to clamp down on such fraudulent operations as they have no place in the country’s higher education landscape,” said Prof Standa.

The country now has seven public universities, 14 privately chartered universities, 13 with letters of interim authority and two registered private universities.