Kenyatta University and JKUAT defend Kigali, Arusha investments

Two public universities have come out to defend their investments in Rwanda and Tanzania insisting that they were aimed at plugging skills gap and generating revenues for the institutions.

In two separate reports submitted to National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee (PIC) chaired Eldas MP Adan Keynan, Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) disclosed that they had spent Sh450 million to set up campuses in the two countries.

The parliamentary watchdog has launched investigations into how the two Kenyan public universities invested millions of shillings in setting up campuses in Rwanda and Tanzania.

State approval

This is after higher education regulator Commission of University Education’s chief executive David Some said the commission did not approve the setting up of campuses outside Kenya.

However, both universities have insisted that by having two government representatives in their boards, one from the National Treasury and another from the Ministry of Education, the regional expansion plan received State approval.

JKUAT vice chancellor Mabel Imbuga said the institution used Sh10 million as seed capital for Arusha centre and Sh21 million for Kigali campus.

Kenyatta University says it spent Sh370 million on setting up a campus in Rwanda and Sh53 million on establishing another one in Arusha. However, the Rwanda campus is yet to start admitting students.

Prof Imbuga said the Arusha centre has 328 students and expected revenue of Sh40 million as at 2015 while Kigali campus has 1,822 students and earned the institution Sh190 million last year.

She said Arusha campus was established in November 2010 while Kigali campus was established in 2012.