Mombasa: Chairpersons of the Public Universities Councils have been urged to adopt financial innovation, enterprise models, and cost-efficiency strategies to rescue Kenya's struggling higher education sector from a worsening debt crisis. Speaking at the Inaugural National Retreat for Public University Councils in Mombasa, the Principal Secretary (PS) for Higher Education, Dr Beatrice Inyangala, called for urgent structural reforms to restore stability in the institutions.
According to Kenya News Agency, the PS advocated for strengthening internal audit and quality assurance departments to identify and mitigate risks. 'Most of our universities are in crisis. The time to change our future is now. We must reengineer university management, adopt cost-cutting measures, and strengthen internal audit and quality assurance systems,' stated Dr Inyangala.
National Assembly Education Committee Chairperson Hon. Julius Melly challenged university councils to generate their revenue through money-making ventures instead of over-relying on government funding. He underscored the importance of being service-oriented through prudent use of resources. 'As chairs of your universities, you must look at ways to be financially self-reliant through student enrolment, research grants, and enterprise development. Universities should no longer be seen solely as academic institutions but as entities capable of generating income,' said Melly.
Senior Economic Advisor to the President, Moses Kuria, emphasized the need for an entrepreneurial mindset among university executives. 'Universities must begin operating as enterprises. Vice Chancellors should be trained to think like CEOs. If a VC can't run a business like Safaricom, they shouldn't be running a university,' Kuria remarked. He further suggested rethinking the role of Chancellors and encouraged the use of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop sustainable commercial models.
Mr. Kuria also advised the Chairpersons to act as unifying figures, bringing all stakeholders together to make universities attractive and competitive.