Private universities claim unfairness in student placements

In a memorandum to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, private universities argue that a move to admit all qualified students to public universities will cripple their institutions and now want to be included in the placement process, writes Jacinta Mutura for The Standard.

The universities, under their umbrella body the National Association of Private Universities in Kenya (NAPUK), told Machogu that although they agree with the government's stand to fund students placed in public universities only, they should also get students placed in the institutions.

In the letter, private universities appealed to the Ministry of Education to separate admission from grants which are provided as government sponsorship in the placement, admission and funding of the qualified 173,000 candidates for the 2023/2024 academic year. Further, they want all qualified students who applied for admission to either public or private universities to be placed for admission to the respective universities. “Blocking private universities from admitting students who voluntarily choose to study in the institutions is grossly unfair and creates a monopoly for public universities to dominate university education contrary to provisions of the Competition Act,” said the association’s Secretary General Dr Vincent Gaitho.
Full report on The Standard site