Kenya is currently facing an unprecedented crisis on both political and economic fronts. The economic challenges are traced to the ravaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it is the government’s inability to design and implement mitigating policies that have come haunt them.
The Kenya Kwanza government chose to blame the biting high cost of living on everything else except themselves. They have cited the plunder and policy blunders of the Uhuru regime. They have also repeatedly blamed the pandemic.
The Russia-Ukraine war has found mention as the prime mover of the high cost of consumer goods. Instead of cushioning the citizens from the effects of these global economic trends, the government has gone ahead to inflict more pain by imposing heavy tax burden. The 2024-25 Finance Bill contained punitive measures to increase the tax revenue base.
All petitions during the public hearings opposed the proposals. However, it was amazing that the Finance and Planning committee made and presented a report to Parliament that supported the tax proposals. It took the resilience of the Gen Z to make President Ruto change his mind and decline to assent to the bill.
The protests have persisted in spite of the president inviting the youth for a dialogue. The tension that has since griped the country forced the president to dissolve his cabinet last week. The move was termed too little too late by the leaders of the civil disobedience.
In the meantime, the protests have turned violent with police brutality being meted on the protestors. Lives have continued to be lost as property continue to be targeted for destruction. Employers and manufacturers count heavy losses as operations are routinely disrupted at least two days in a week.
The economic loss to the nation is monumental. The ripple effect is such that economic hardship for Kenyans have multiplied tenfold as the government stares at economic meltdown and spiraling inflation. The many economic and governance experts hired to advise the president seem to have lost their midas touch.
The crisis is moving from worse to worst at an alarming rate. The president is between a rock and a hard place. None of the decisions he takes seem to bring respite to the pain and suffering of the people. Granted that every sector of the country is going through turmoil. However, the university education bears the biggest brunt of this crisis.
Universities the world over are created and established to perform three broad functions. They are expected to train high caliber manpower; engage in cutting edge research and support society in finding solutions to their development needs through community engagement.
Education and training remains the key mandate of the academy. It is the most daunting task for any university since the quality of the graduates determine the profile and standing of the respective institution.
The ability of such graduates to progress in their respective post graduate studies in any other world class university attests to quality of the training offered by their alma mata. Kenyan graduates have performed relatively well in their post graduate studies.
However, the current situation will certainly compromise the quality of teaching offered. Before the commencement of the current national crisis, the government had introduced a new funding model for financing university education. The model is student centred and factors the uniqueness of each course.
The cost for each course is segregated and apportioned to the government as scholarship and loan, and to the parent as fees. It is already facing teething problems while it is in its second year. Parliament had to step in recently and ordered the principal secretary to recall all the admission letters for the 2023 KCSE candidates.
The contention was that the letters were not clear on how the students would finance their education. What was lost to observers is that the component for the family is where the main challenge is.
Most students would lose on the government sponsorship on account of their parents’ income status. Parents would have to provide detailed information regarding their incomes and all sources. A lot if not all of this information is available with the KRA.
The only problem is that what is contained in the KRA records will not accurately reflect the actual situation on the ground. Many of the people in employment are the ones suffering the most under the yoke of tax burden. Their records may indicate stable sources of income but carrying additional load as heavy as the costs of university fees at market rates would be catastrophic.
Many students will miss out of government sponsorship due to the official records regarding the incomes of their parents. The means testing would mathematically demonstrate that the parents are capable of financing the cost of the course. Yet on the ground, things are different.
Missing out on university education once a student qualifies will cause untold suffering to both the parents and students. The universities would suffer reduced capitation as the government has since stopped the monthly grants for running the institutions of higher learning.
The introduction of payment for services through e-citizens has further curtailed the universities access to their respective fees and income generation activities. All funds paid through this platform are not readily available to the universities.
Research and community engagement will suffer even much more. During president Mwai Kibaki’s tenure, the government made a bold policy decision to dedicate 10 per cent of the national GDP to research. Two strategic institutions, the National Research Fund and National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation were established.
As the government currently operates from hand to mouth, it can ill afford the luxury of cutting edge research. The two institutions struggle to meet the research demands of many scientists. Inadequate research has immediate negative impact on innovation and post graduate studies.
Many universities locally are in their nascent stages and therefore cannot compete well for syndicated international research funds. Research in universities will rely heavily on secondary data which hardly generates new knowledge.
Grand ideas such as the Savanna Silicon Valley at Konza Techno polis will be pipedreams. The investment in production for food security will be severely curtailed. The universities’ capacity to support development of scientific solutions to development challenges will be greatly compromised. Kenyan universities’ ranking in the global academy stage will certainly go down tumbling.
The academic staff who are supposed to spearhead research are themselves going through difficult times as all Kenyans. However, their situation is more pitiful. Many Kenyans may not be aware that many universities are unable to meet their personal emoluments for their staff. Currently the government has put a moratorium on salary increases.
The universities have been implementing the terms of service through negotiations of CBAs with the staff unions. Without improved salaries in the prevailing difficult economic environment, the morale staff undoubtedly remains low.
There will therefore be less productivity of staff in the mandate of research and innovation. As the president moves to reorganise the government, premium attention should be given to university education and training.
PS: Last weekend, we gathered to celebrate an academic icon on the occasion of his birthday. Prof Francis Aduol made immense contribution to higher education development during his stint at university management.
The legal framework enacted in 2012 including the Universities Act bears his fingerprints and enduring legacy. His vision and dedicated service ensured that the Technical University of Kenya quickly rose to become a leader of technical education regionally and internationally. Happy birthday once again, prof.
Political and public policy analyst