Where is the pride of university in Kenya?????
I am writing this as an individual who experiences the
current situation in universities of Kenya.
It is very sad after studying very hard to score an A in
KCSE to make it to a university. I am a third year student, after all that I
have seen I am strongly convinced that the Kenyan universities have lost the
pride and the value they used to have five years ago. If you are prudent
enough, you’ll support me based on the following facts:
Unemployment to graduates has become a usual thing. It’s
very sad that after all the four or five years of study to get a job, a
graduate ends up hawking in the streets, commuting or being a turn boys in "matatus".It is the so
called “connection” that gives you a job nowadays and not your certificate.
Jobs are not advertised, instead people invite their nearest and dearests when
opportunities arise, yet a first class graduate tarmacs for five years.
Strikes and Demonstrations have become a certainty in every
semester. Look for example, the year 2015 we had Maseno, JKUAT, MMUST, JOOUST,
Laikipia, UoN, TUK all out in the streets in demos., But what we should ask is
why does this happen? If you investigate the root cause of these demos, you
realize that it must be a minor election tension, electricity blackout, or
water problem that instigates students to take to the streets. To make it funny
is that this happens almost at the end of semesters. As a student, I know these
demos are just a result of brokenness, tiredness or students don’t want exams.
The higher education loans board(HELB) does not serve students in
time and appropriately. You find the semester has begun but the students’ loan
take about 6 weeks to be processed, yet it should help them to pay fees to book
hostels or register for units not to forget accommodation. So this has brought
suffering to students who end up stealing other fellows; laptops , phones and
even clothes .The amount awarded has also become so little that doesn’t even
meet student’s needs. For instance a student with both parents but who are
unable receives Ksh.17500 in a
semester. The fee for the semester like in Maseno University is Ksh.23650. The
loan itself cannot pay the whole fee, so this student is forced to find a way
to clear the fee and sort his accommodation. To make matters worse is that you can’t
sit an exam with even a balance of 1 bob.
Accommodation of students in the hostels is nowadays a thing
of backdoor connection. The available hostels are not even half of the admitted
students. Too many students are admitted, but not as many hostels. The
double-intake has ruined everything. At least the freshers are luckier to be
given rooms, but how about the continuing students? They have found it had to
find places to stay, and this has led to exploitation of the students buy
landlords e.g. I know of student who pays 36000 for rent in a semester and you can’t
do anything about it.
Substandard teaching and syllabus coverage is another menace
today. I study computer science but there has never been a unit where we are
taught even half of what we need to know, For instance I am in third year yet I
have never even stepped into a networking lab, I have never seen even a router
yet I am expected to graduate in years’ time. Recently the Nairobi aviation was
brought to light for awarding certificates to students who practically know
close to nothing and that are what goes on even in other universities. where
are we heading to surely?
Scholarship programs have ceased. Unlike in the past where
if you excelled , you were easily taken to study in the japan, china, US etc.,
nowadays there’s just nothing like that. You study computer science and get
first class and remains here without any further studies if you can’t afford
the means.
I am very concerned about the higher education situation in
Kenya and I would love to see an improvement in the above areas I have
addressed for Kenya to achieve vision 2030.
