By Mercy Imali
Governor Alfred Mutua has warned against the proposal to shut down or merge some universities across the country. He said such a move would be disastrous to the country’s economy and punitive for millions of young Kenyans who are thirsty for university education.
The Machakos Governor instead recommended that existing universities be strengthened, and many other campuses opened to bridge the growing demand for higher education in the country.
There have been calls by a section of policy makers in the education sector for the closure of some universities on grounds that they lack mechanisms to guarantee quality standards in their training
He feels that declining quality standards in some of the institutions of higher learning may be dealt with by relevant agencies without having to reverse the gains made already in enhancing access to university education to millions of Kenyan youths.
“In every village, it is now clear that it is through education that children from extremely poor backgrounds have become top notch professionals and industry captains turning around the fortunes of their families and communities around them,” he said.
Invoking the provisions of the constitution, he said, “Needless to say, under Article 43(f) of our Constitution, governments are compelled to ensure all Kenyans. Indeed, all young people in Kenya attain education to the highest level.”