The Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education grilled Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu over red flags noted in different sectors of Kenyan universities.
The committee questioned the CS based on information from the Auditor General’s report and physical verification of documents which showed that government capitation had been decreasing annually, sometimes dropping to below 30%.
Members of the Committee noted that this had made it challenging for the educational institutions to function effectively.
Additionally, insufficient funding has compelled some universities to hire underqualified staff due to the inability to support fully qualified personnel.
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Other Concerns Raised by the Committee
At the same time, Machogu was asked to issue a statement over accounting officers in universities lacking basic training on management issues.
“The Committee recommended that the Ministry considers devising a policy on training of its staff which they termed as crucial for the overall management and performance of learning institutions,” a statement from the committee read in part.
In addition, concerns were raised regarding several positions within universities and tertiary institutions that had been vacant for a long period.
“A case scenario is the registrar of Kenyatta University who has been in acting position for close to six (6) years and the Finance Officer of Multimedia University who has been acting for more than five (5) years,” the chairman indicated.
The Committee also noted with concern, that some institutions had admitted students beyond their declared capacities, or what is supported by a declaration of capacities from the relevant universities.
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The Members sought to know from Machogu if this was a ploy by rogue officers from the ministry working with the accounting officers of private universities to siphon government funds.
“Heads will roll. We can’t be having fraudulent officers minting public funds at the expense of very deserving youths,” added a member of the committee.
Machogu Issues Response to Concerns Raised
In response, Machogu said that some of the variances in the report were recorded during the previous administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Further, he stated that the officers in charge of the programs during the Uhuru administration were under probe, having been put to task to provide the ministry with relevant documents.
Also, the education CS said that since his appointment, he had continuously adopted measures to address the gaps noted.
He disclosed that the ministry had established a refund program with the universities that had received double funding, resulting to the recovery of Ksh4.4 million out of Kshs19 million.
The Committee called on CS Machogu to put in place a transition program that will act in place of now defunct, EDU Afya.
