Dons Oppose Proposal To Give Magoha Power To Overturn Varsity Council Decisions
Several education stakeholders have spoken out against a proposal to give Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha the authority to overturn varsity council decisions.
The plan was opposed by lecturers and one member of a university council, according to a report submitted to the National Assembly.
The new provision in the Bill seeks to give the CS the authority to revoke appointments and transfer council members.
“Deploy members of councils, review or vacate council decisions and give approval to a council seeking to meet more than a four times a year,” the report reads.
Magoha, for example, refused to accept the current VC of the University of Nairobi, Stephen Kiama.
Magoha had revoked Kiama’s appointment and dissolved the university council, citing “further consultations.”
Universities Academic Staff Union opposed the proposal, citing power expansion.
According to the submission signed by UASU secretary general Constantine Wasonga, if approved, this amendment would give the CS far too much power.
Wasonga also stated that the CS should not have the authority to transfer university council members.
However, the union agreed that the ministry should have a say in some university decisions.
UASU requested representation during the selection process for council members.
The proposal was also opposed by the chairman of the South Eastern University of Kenya council, Louis Mumera.
Mumera claimed that the proposal would reduce independence and called for it to be scrapped.
In a report, the ministry defended the new proposal, claiming that it allows for the regulation of government decisions.
Another proposal concerning the operation of councils concerned the length of their terms.
The council members are supposed to serve for three years under the new regime, so their time expires differently.
Members currently leave office at different times, usually after three or four years.
The Universities Amendment Bill 2021 sought to give the education cabinet secretary the authority to revoke any appointments to councils.
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The University Act is the supreme authority guiding institutional governance.
The councils are the primary decision-making bodies in universities.
However, in recent years, the councils have had serious disagreements with university management.
Dons Oppose Proposal To Give Magoha Power To Overturn Varsity Council Decisions