Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has closed down four satellite campuses and ordered students to report to the main campus in Kakamega.
The move, made public through an internal memo from the office of the registrar academic affairs Thomas Sakwa, shows that the closure will affect Mumias, Kisumu, Kapsabet and Nairobi campuses.
“Following the closure of the listed campuses by the university management board on December 31, 2020, the senate during its special meeting held today, 12th January 2021, resolved that the affected students report to the main campus immediately for placement,” the memo reads.
The university has joined other universities that have closed some of their satellite campuses. They include Kisii University, which closed down its Nairobi campus, and Egerton university, which also closed its Nairobi campus.
The move comes against the backdrop of university reforms that recommended downsizing of institutions to enable them to stay afloat.
Although the reforms proposed by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha are yet to be affected, some institutions have started internal reforms that include staff layoffs and closure of campuses.
Satellite campuses gained prominence with the popularity of self-sponsored programmes.
Institutions of higher learning have been riding on the rapid growth in self-sponsored adult and evening classes that is part of the rush to get university education.
The rush prompted fierce competition among universities to open satellite institutions in major towns in a bid to attract more enrolment.
The main target is the working class, most of whom attend evening and weekend classes.
Income from non-traditional students has enabled some institutions with low enrolment numbers and poor funding to stay afloat.
In 2017, the then Education CS Fred Matiang’i announced a freeze on opening new satellite campuses in the country.
Matiang’i faulted the satellite institutions, citing poor quality of education. He said there was a need to regulate the opening of new campuses.