Embakasi Central Member of Parliament Benjamin Mwangi, also known as Mejjadonk, has introduced a significant legislative proposal that could reshape the landscape of university education in Kenya.
The Universities (Amendment) Bill 2023, put forth by Mwangi, aims to eliminate certificate and diploma programs from university curricula. Additionally, the bill seeks to restrict the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) from assigning students to diploma or certificate courses within universities.
The primary objective of the bill, as elucidated by Mwangi, is to refocus universities exclusively on offering degree and postgraduate programs. According to the lawmaker, universities should function primarily as centers for advanced learning and academic research, thus prioritizing higher-level academic pursuits over vocational or technical training.
Mwangi’s rationale extends to addressing the issue of low enrollment in vocational and technical colleges, despite substantial government funding allocated to these institutions. By reallocating certificate and diploma courses to technical and vocational colleges, Mwangi believes that enrollment rates in these institutions would increase, thereby optimizing the utilization of government resources.
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Moreover, Mwangi emphasizes the need to streamline the certification process by eliminating redundancy in accreditation bodies. Currently, both the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority and the Commission for University Education certify certificate and diploma programs, leading to confusion and inconsistencies in course content and duration.
The proposed legislation aims to resolve this issue by assigning exclusive certification authority to each institution type, thereby ensuring clarity and coherence in the educational landscape.
Furthermore, if the bill is approved, the Commission for University Education will assume responsibility for recognizing and equating postgraduate certificates and diplomas conferred by foreign universities and institutions. This provision underscores the bill’s broader objective of aligning Kenya’s higher education system with global standards while maintaining a clear distinction between academic and vocational pathways.
In a statement, the MP conveyed the essence of the bill, which aims to empower the Commission to enact regulations concerning the procedure for equating postgraduate and diploma courses provided by private universities.
Under the proposed legislation, Chancellors of all universities would be authorized to confer postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diploma courses exclusively, excluding basic certificates and diploma courses.
Nevertheless, should the bill be ratified, existing students enrolled in the aforementioned courses would be permitted to finish their studies uninterrupted.
