The Commission for University Education (CUE) has picked former director at Daystar University Mike Kuria the new chief executive effective September 5, the board announced on Monday.
Prof Kuria, a quality assurance professional, takes over from Prof Mwenda Ntarangwi whose contract as CUE chief executive ends on September 4, 2022.
CUE chairman Chacha Nyaigotti Chacha described him as a multi-skilled and versatile leader with extensive experience and expertise in quality assurance in higher education in Kenya and beyond.
“Prof Kuria brings to the Commission experience of working closely with vice-chancellors and regulatory authorities in the East African region where he has spearheaded critical projects to advance the quality of university education,” said Prof Chacha in a statement.
He worked as the Director, Centre for Quality Assurance at Daystar University, for ten years during which Daystar University was selected by UNESCO as one of its case studies for good practice in quality assurance for higher education.
Prof Kuria has also served as the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) where he is credited for spearheading multiple projects to support higher education in the region.
He takes over the helm of the Commission at a time it was embroiled in an academic papers clearance fiasco with Nairobi gubernatorial UDA candidate Johnson Sakaja.
In March, he threatened to take action against professional bodies pushing to approve academic courses, escalating a tussle over the accreditation of degrees and diplomas.
Prof Chacha termed as criminal the move by professional bodies to undermine court rulings and the law.
The Court of Appeal last year ruled that CUE is the only body mandated to regulate standards and accredit courses, in consultation with individual universities and possibly professional bodies.
