The National Assembly Committee on Education called the Commission for University Education (CUE) to act on unaccredited universities and the deteriorating quality of education in Kenya.
The committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, expressed concern over the CUE’s submissions, which disclosed that at least 15 unaccredited institutions are currently operating in the country and awarding degrees illegally.
The lawmakers demanded answers from CUE Chairman Prof Chacha Nyaigotti-Chacha and Commission Secretary and CEO Prof Mike Kuria on the measures taken to curb the proliferation of rogue institutions and protect students from fraudulent degrees.
The CUE senior officers detailed measures to curb rogue institutions’ proliferation and protect students from fraudulent degrees.
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The CEO disclosed that it had intensified crackdowns on illegal institutions in partnership with law enforcement agencies.
He revealed that 15 unaccredited institutions had been flagged, and two ongoing court cases involved culprits issuing fake degrees.
Prof. Kuria added that CUE had published a quarterly list of 79 universities authorised to operate in Kenya and issued public warnings to caution students and parents against enrolling in unrecognised programmes.
MP Christine Ombaka raised the issue of the worsening student-lecturer ratio and asked what steps the Commission is taking to regulate enrollment numbers and ensure institutions have adequate staffing.
Prof. Kuria, however, admitted that historical gaps following the operationalisation of the Universities Act in 2012 contributed to discrepancies in accreditation records but assured MPs that the Commission is working to clean up the system.
On future reforms, the Commission called for policy changes to strengthen regulatory oversight, manage student enrollment, and uphold global academic standards.
By Obegi Malack
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