KENYA: Income drive at expense of quality

Lack of adequate facilities is the greatest challenge facing the privately sponsored students programme, reports the Daily Nation. Often, universities admit more students than their limited facilities can cater for. "There is so much thirst for money among our public universities that they sometimes overlook issues of practicalities when admitting students," acknowledged Professor Everett Standa, secretary of the Commission for Higher Education.

It is common to find students in public universities listening in to lectures from outside overcrowded lecture halls. Accessing library facilities has also become virtually impossible as students compete for the few books available.

Some universities have also established market-driven programmes like Engineering, Law or Journalism, while they lack requisite facilities such as well-equipped laboratories and qualified lecturers. Universities have also established constituent colleges all over the country as they attempt to tap more money.

Full report on The Nation site