By Isaiah Bikhal
The Principal Secretary, State Department for University Education and Research, Amb. Simon Nabukwesi has appointed a special committee to fast track the classification of public universities and the establishment of a national university.
The Ministry has developed criterion to develop policies on Kenya Elite Universities Recognition Class and also came up with a proposal on the establishment of the National University of Kenya (NUKE).
Nabukwesi has given the special committee three months to undertake both tasks and submit the results of the tasks to him in November.
The 10-member committee is chaired by Prof. Paul Baki of the Technical University of Kenya (TUC) and has Dr. George Ondoro (Kisii University), Dr. Guyo, S. Huka (Meru University) and Prof. Anne Amadi (Great Lakes University of Kisumu) as members.
Others are Prof. Alex Mmumbo (TUK), Prof. Josphine Ngaira- (MMUST), Dr. Fredrick Gravenir (Kenyatta University), Prof. Godrick Matthews (Maasai Mara University), Dr. Rahma Udu (TUM) and Prof and Ernest Muhochi (Kibabii University).
The terms of reference for developing a policy on Kenya Elite Universities Recognition Class are to undertake desktop study on available government legal instruments to inform situational analysis.
They will also undertake a desktop study on global institutions and derive best practice, establish challenges facing the universities in terms of recognition and global competiveness, provide objectives, policy statements and guidelines befitting policy.
Terms of reference for the establishment of the National University of Kenya are to develop a proposal for NUKE as a model university to compete with the best in the world, propose mandate, objectives, vision, mission and recognition.
They will also establish market paradigms, cost of establishment, log frame and social responsibility for NUKE; propose programmers, cost, criteria for admitting students and guidelines for employment at the university.
