KENYA: Minister directs universities to double intake

Higher Education Minister Margaret Kamar has directed public universities to accept a double intake of students from this year to clear a backlog of more than 30,000 students by 2015, writes Mathews Ndanyi for the Nairobi Star. The government, she said, would give universities more funds this year to achieve the goal.

Kamar said the government had agreed with universities to address the problem in three years. "We want students to join university as soon as they clear the [Kenyan national examinations]. Currently those who qualify every year have to wait for two or three years before joining university," the minister said.

She said funding for the expansion of universities was a challenge the government would address in earnest this year. Higher Education Loans Board CEO Benjamin Cheboi said last week that the board had given out loans totalling more than Sh4.6 billion (US$51.7 million) in 2011. The amount would be higher this year because of the accelerated university intakes, he said.
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However, the Universities' Academic Staff Union has rejected the proposed double intake, saying it will compromise the quality of education at the universities, reports the Nairobi Star. UASU Organising Secretary Musalia Edebe said facilities at universities are excessively overstretched and the current 9,000 lecturers cannot handle more students.
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