Students caught in courses' mess as colleges transit to full varsities

Students from the Technical University of Mombasa run for safety after Engineering students went on strike over
courses offered at the institution. [PHOTO: GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD]

Hundreds of Engineering students are falling victims to a rigorous transition period of key regulatory agencies in the country’s university education sector.

The elevation of some of the constituent colleges to full-fledged universities and the requirement to have them start their own academic programmes and get them approved and accredited, has been a nightmare.

Last month, hundreds of Engineering students at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) staged a protest over the delayed accreditation of all engineering programmes at the university.

Some 137 students who completed the various engineering courses at TUM had moved to court to stop the June graduation ceremony at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The names of Engineering students from TUM were missing on the graduation list.

Meanwhile, another 80 Engineering students at the same university had just completed their  programmes in April and were increasingly getting unconvinced that their papers would be accepted in the job market.

The Mombasa High Court allowed JKUAT graduation to proceed but ordered inclusion of the TUM students. But even after the ceremony, JKUAT withheld certificates of the TUM students.

The students also said that they were ‘belittled’ at the graduation ground, as the degrees were ‘not conferred to them properly.’

“They never said the usual phrase of ‘You are given the powers to....’ Instead they said ‘subject to the court order, you are given the powers to...” said Benmark Ng’ang’a, the president of TUM students union.

Demand respect

And with hundreds more still pursuing the same Engineering courses at TUM, Ng’ang’a said the chronology of events pushed students to the streets to demand respect and also get an assurance that their papers would be accepted after years of study.

The university was closed indefinitely and student leaders issued with suspension and expulsion letters for ‘inciting students to riot.’

The matter was so grave that the House Education committee, last week, summoned the Ministry of Education PS Belio Kipsang, to give a status report on Engineering programmes accreditation.

Technical University of Kenya (TUK) vice-chancellor Francis Aduol, and TUM vice-chancellor Josephat Mwatela, were also present.

Engineering Board of Kenya (EBK) chairman Maina Wanjau, EBK Registrar Nicholas Musuni and John Gichaga, who is a member also attended the meeting.

Mwatela told the MPs that trouble at TUM started last year when Mombasa Technical University College was elevated to full -fledged university. He said TUM runs electrical, electronic, civil and mechanical engineering programmes, which it offers under the accredited syllabus of JKUAT. “The elevation to full university meant that TUM would develop its own programmes and have EBK accredit them and this has been the challenge,” said Mwatela.

Quick time lines

The result has been a chain of protests across universities and expulsion of student union leaders as university administrations grapple with the quick time lines to adjust to the tight regulations of EBK.

Three TUM student leaders have been expelled and two suspended following the protests.

Third, Fourth and Fifth year Engineering students also remain at home at the order of TUM administration.

Similar stories of students panic and frustrations over Engineering courses have also been reported at Masinde Muliro University Science and Technology and Dedan Kimathi University. The Standard on Saturday has also established that the establishment of the EBK by the Engineers Act 2011, has given it immense regulatory powers, pushing universities to adopt fast under harsh environments and strict time lines.

The creation of the Commission for University Education (CUE) has also not helped the matter as universities are now caught between the two regulatory agencies, each claiming accreditation functions.

Previously, the functions –accreditation of programmes- currently undertaken by CUE were done by university Senates.

Before the formation of the EBK, the Engineers’ Registration Board (ERB) would recognise programmes, however, they were not accrediting them as such. Prof Aduol told the MPs that the introduction of these two new regulatory agencies with ‘somewhat conflicting roles’ was the start of a major challenge that has unsettled universities.

He said EBK has also fanned the universities unrest over Engineering courses by ‘publishing a sensational list’ of universities with accredited courses. According to EBK, Engineering programmes at the University of Nairobi, Moi University, JKUAT and Egerton University, have been approved. This means all the other programmes not listed are not approved, causing panic among the students.

The two vice-chancellors, however, decried the long process of getting accreditation and asked for harmonisation of the process.

Education PS Kipsang, said the relevant laws must be re-looked at and proper coordination instituted for the Engineering programes. He said both CUE and EBK claim accreditation and noted that it should be properly clarified in law.

MPs heard that the university senate is also involved in the long process of getting academic programmes accredited.

“The senate’s role in this is that it is the supreme organ in the university responsible for academic programmes. So there is no syllabus that can see the light of day before senate is certified,” said Aduol.

He said universities running Engineering programmes now have three key bodies to deal with.

“They have the senate for academic quality within the university, the CUE dealing with academic accreditation and EBK dealing with professional accreditation,” said Aduol.

The realities

He, however, accuses the EBK for not acknowledging the harsh environment under which some of the new universities are operating.

“These are young universities that were set up the other day. Capacity building takes time. But EBK has been insensitive to these realities,” said Aduol.

He said the case of TUK needed some patience from EBK. He said Engineering students were admitted to his institution (then the Kenya Polytechnic) a week before it became constituent college of University of Nairobi.

Kibaki commissioned Kenya Polytechnic University College in August 23, 2007.

“Students had already been admitted to study Electrical Engineering. There was no curriculum and there was nothing,” said Aduol.

“These students did Form Four examinations in 2005 and admitted in 2007. They reported in 2009, some 36 months after sitting their Form Four examinations,” he said.

He added: “We quickly crafted a curriculum, took to the UoN senate and got it approved. In fact, we began teaching even before we took the syllabus to the senate,” he added.

He said the institution then applied for programmes approval to ERB in 2010. EBK was not yet operational.

Expressed concern

“We got a comment from them after one and a half years. At this point, we were also getting converted into a full university. This was another problem as EBK had been established and given all the powers,” said Aduol.

EBK’s main objective is to oversee the registration of engineers and firms, regulation of engineering professional services, setting of standards, development general practice of engineering.

EBK chairman Dionysius Maina Wanjau, maintains that section 7 (1) Engineers Act 2011, gives the board powers to ‘approve, and accredit engineering programs in public and private universities and other tertiary level educational institutions offering education in engineering.

Meanwhile, CUE has expressed concern over the closure of public universities arising from accreditation of programmes by regulatory agencies. The CUE administration through its chairman, Henry Thairu, said the events have impacted negatively on the delivery of programmes and caused undue suffering to students and their parents or guardians.

“We wish to assure all affected parties that CUE is in consultation with relevant professional bodies to address the issues pertaining to this matter with a view to finding a lasting solution,” said Thairu.

He said these steps are taken in line with the regulatory mandate of CUE under Universities Act.