Public universities in Kenya have accomplished their initial mission of fostering an intellectual community in the country. But public universities have also faced difficulties such as enrolment beyond their capacity to plan and finance; fiscal challenges; and a decline in quality. To help solve some of these problems, the Kenyan government has supported the establishment and growth of private universities and colleges. Today, almost one in six college and university students attends a private college or university, and this figure increases annually. What accounts for this growth and is it a good thing for Kenya?

In the 1980s, Christian religious groups established the majority of the 15 private colleges and universities in Kenya and in 1985 the government created a Commission for Higher Education to supervise the development of state and private education. The Commission has more power over the private institutions and has ensured that they:

• end affiliation with overseas universities and become autonomous
• contribute to the educational advantage of any particular ethnic or religious group
• are viable in terms of their infrastructure
• only admit students that possess at least the minimum qualifications required for admission to state institutions.

The nature of private universities has meant that the composition of their students is different to that of state universities. Over 50% of the students at private universities are women. They have tended to not do as well as men in the exams required for entrance to state universities. The fees involved mean that private universities capture only a segment of the Kenyan population - the (upper) middle class.

The establishment of the Commission for Higher Education is an important factor in the growth of private institutions. Others include:

• the global trend from elite university systems to mass higher education
• the rapid growth in primary and secondary enrolment in Kenya. This means that more access is needed at the tertiary level and that completion at higher levels determines life chances.
• the need to meet the educational demands of religious and other specific social groups, including the wealthy
• the inability of state universities to meet the high demand for higher education. In a climate of decreasing state funding the capacity of classrooms and dormitories in existing state universities are over-stretched.

The growth of private universities has been based on social status rather than on academic positioning. For example, the United States International University (USIU) does not offer a better degree than other universities but justifies charging very high fees, by simulating a North American-style campus life. Further impacts of this growth include:

• Students, lecturers, and political affiliates of the state institutions resent the competition posed by the private system and have opposed government proposals to extend already over-stretched funding to the private universities.
• When universities depend on students alone for finances, they are limited to being tuition-based institutions that offer little breadth for research leading to advanced degrees such as doctoral studies.

How can the government provide support and guidance to private universities while avoiding unnecessary control? The research recommends that governments should provide some assistance to the private universities and colleges while restricting establishment and growth to those institutions that can provide new programmes in areas of critical need such as technology, economics, and science.

Source(s):
'The emergence of private university education in Kenya: trends, prospects, and challenges' International Development of Educational Development 24: 119-136 by Moses O Oketch, 2004

id21 Research Highlight: 15 June 2004

Further Information:
Moses O Oketch
Institute of Education
University of London
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL

Tel: +44 (0)20 7612 6629
Fax: +44 (0)20 7612 6632
Contact the contributor: m.oketch@ioe.ac.uk

Institute of Education, University of London, UK

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