By Dickens Wasonga reporting from Kisumu.
President Mwai Kibaki has announced that the government will soon elevate 13 constituent university colleges into fully fledged public universities.
The move will see the number of fully fledged public universities in the country moving up from the current 7 to 20.
Speaking during the award of charter to Great Lakes University of Kisumu president Kibaki said the government was intensifying efforts aimed at enhancing access ,equity and relevance in higher education. He said the award of the charter was significant the university which became the 15th private university in the country to have attained full accreditation status.
The president who was accompanied by the minister for higher learning prof.Margaret Kamar and two other ministers from the Orange Democratic Movement ODM said the increased production of high quality and relevant human capital in the country will enable it to participate more effectively in the rapidly globalizing and increasingly knowledge based world.
” In response to development needs as captured by both our vision 2030 and the Kenyan constitution ,some of these universities will be dedicated to science and technology education and training” said president Kibaki.
Prof. Kamar who spoke before the president said many Kenyans qualifying to join universities were being denied access due to limited number of university places that the current 7 public universities can absorb through the joint admission board that select students joining public universities in the country.
She said out of the 400,000 students who sat Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in the year 2011 a total of 114,236 students qualified after they obtained mean grade of C+ being the minimum university admission requirement but only 41,879 students were admitted to the public universities through Joint Admission Board (JAB).
” It is disheartening that a total of 76,377 students who got the mean grade were not absorbed.This is why there is great need for government to work towards expanding access to meet the growing need of getting university education” she said.
The minister however called upon the existing institutions of higher learning to ensure quality, relevance and equity in terms of choice and delivery of their programs is maintained.
” Our universities must ensure those who graduate from their institutions are acceptable globally and are able to compete at par with those from the rest of the world” She added.
Public service minister Masada Otieno who represented the Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the event asked the universities and faith based institutions to help rid the country of ethnicity which he claimed was the biggest problem the country was facing.
” The issue of ethnicity is deeply rooted in our nation and its high time our universities and churches combined forces to rid this nation of the pandemic. Matters have not been helped by the fact that many people are educated. We still think as tribes first and not Kenyans.”Said the minister.
Renowned scholar prof David Wasawo was installed as the first Chancellor of the Great lakes University university of Kisumu (GLUK) which was initially known Tropical Institute for Health and Community Development when it began in 1998. Prof Dan Kaseje was also installed the university’s Vice Chancellor in a ceremony presided over also by the chairman of the university board of trustees Bishop Wayi Abiero of Maseno Anglican Church Of Kenya Maseno Diocese.
Cabinet Minister James Orengo (Lands) and assistant minister Prof Ayiecho Olweny (Higher Education) and members of parliament Ocheing’ Polyns (Nyakach) and Shakil Shabir ( Kisumu Town East )attended the ceremony which was also graced by several dignitaries and top academicians.
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