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Members of the Education Committee in the National Assembly expressed their puzzlement regarding the placement of 16,000 students at Kisii University in the current academic year.
During a session on Tuesday, a representative from the Commission for University Education (CUE) faced difficulty defending this decision, despite asserting that the university possessed adequate capacity to accommodate such a large number of students.
Marcella Mwaka, head of Programme Accreditation at the commission, addressed the committee, highlighting Kisii University’s resources, including 317 academic staff, 91 lecture halls, 14 laboratories, and 3 computer labs. She emphasized that the allocation process considered factors such as available resources and program accreditation status.
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However, committee members remained skeptical, questioning how Kisii University, with its resources, could accommodate more students than larger institutions like the University of Nairobi, JKUAT, or Kenyatta University.
Julius Melly, the committee chair, raised concerns about the discrepancy between the number of students allocated and the university’s resources, particularly noting the shortfall in academic staff.
Christine Ombaka, an MP from Siaya County, echoed these concerns, urging Mwaka to provide a comparative analysis between Kisii University and larger institutions to clarify the decision-making process.
Despite Mwaka’s attempts to justify the allocation, the committee remained dissatisfied, demanding further explanation and suggesting Mwaka return with more comprehensive answers at a later date.
Melly expressed frustration, questioning the effectiveness of the university commission’s oversight in approving such allocations.
