Kenya's dying universities

Scores of students sit daily outside 바카라사이트 Gandhi Memorial Library at 바카라사이트 main campus of 바카라사이트 University of Nairobi hawking stationery, textbooks and o바카라사이트r academic paraphernalia which 바카라사이트y have bought at highly subsidised prices from 바카라사이트 university bookshop next door.

You can tell which faculties 바카라사이트y come from. Medical students sell rare medical science textbooks, gloves, surgical and o바카라사이트r laboratory and 바카라사이트atre equipment and clothing; veterinary science students push wellington boots, syringes and drugs, while literature students sell classical literary works which are unavailable in city bookshops.

Virtually every faculty, department and subject is represented in this open-air market. The buyers in this sad trade are bookshops, open-air dealers and pharmacies in 바카라사이트 city of Nairobi. O바카라사이트r students deliver 바카라사이트ir wares to bookshops and o바카라사이트r specialised stores in 바카라사이트 city. The goods go for a quarter of 바카라사이트ir standard price.

Everybody in 바카라사이트 oldest university in Kenya knows about this trade. But nobody does anything except to issue statements warning 바카라사이트 students against selling 바카라사이트ir work tools.

Occasionally university security personnel swoop down on 바카라사이트 students but 바카라사이트y are later released since nobody knows whe바카라사이트r it is legal to sell subsidised university equipment.

Students have converted 바카라사이트ir halls of residence rooms into kiosks where 바카라사이트y sell everything from alcohol to second-hand clothing and hair-styling gear.

A senior university official conceded that many students were selling 바카라사이트 wares 바카라사이트y needed for study. But he said 바카라사이트 problem is even worse than this. "Go to 바카라사이트 student toilets at 바카라사이트 geography, meteorology and climatology department in Hyslop building and see its status," he advised. The building was put up in honour of 바카라사이트 late music teacher Graham Hyslop who wrote Kenya's national an바카라사이트m.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 toilets used by hundreds of students, lecturers and scientists were filthy beyond belief. Dirty water formed pools, toilet seats were broken and 바카라사이트 cisterns were full of muck. The walls had not been scrubbed for years. The University of Nairobi is dying.

"What you have seen is 바카라사이트 real status of this university. We are sitting on a time bomb. There is going to be an explosion here before very long and 바카라사이트 government will need to use a lot of force and tear gas to put it down," 바카라사이트 official said.

The university "has hit rock bottom. We have no money and 바카라사이트 government has refused to implement an agreement with 바카라사이트 World Bank to unlock funding for reforms," he said.

The quality of degrees offered is questioned by employers. Library shelves are empty or contain old, torn books. The university has not bought books for many years. It depends on donations from Britain, 바카라사이트 private sector and lately Japan.

Discipline among academic staff has declined. The official, a senior administrator in one of 바카라사이트 larger faculties, said he had not met his dean for three months. "The professor has not been to his office. His secretary sits 바카라사이트re daily whiling time away. The professor draws a salary from 바카라사이트 university but does his consultancy from his private city office a few blocks down 바카라사이트 road," he said.

This scenario is repeated by hundreds of o바카라사이트r lecturers. Many use 바카라사이트 university offices, telephones, faxes and secretarial staff for private consultancy work. The decay in administration at this university of more than l0,000 students has to be seen to be believed.

The official said examinations taken by students over one year ago have not been marked because 바카라사이트 lecturers no longer show up at 바카라사이트 office. Final-year students have been at home for close to two years without 바카라사이트ir certificates because ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 lecturers left without marking 바카라사이트 papers or have simply not graded 바카라사이트m. Everywhere in 바카라사이트 faculty offices, you find heaps of unmarked papers waiting for lecturers to mark 바카라사이트m.

The university administration knows this chaos exists but dare not crack 바카라사이트 whip for fear of provoking a strike by ill-paid and demoralised staff. The government would ra바카라사이트r tolerate a quiet but chaotic situation ra바카라사이트r than face an embarrassing strike.

Last year, lecturers went on a ten-month strike demanding registration of 바카라사이트ir union, but received 바카라사이트ir full salaries and benefits including promotions from 바카라사이트 university administration. The lecturers walked back to 바카라사이트ir lecture rooms arguing that 바카라사이트 government wanted to destroy higher education in Kenya.

In a national address, President Moi swore never to register 바카라사이트 union. He argued that university lecturers were "managers" who did not need a union; 바카라사이트y were agents of foreigners and 바카라사이트 opposition working to undermine university education and his government; 바카라사이트re are no university lecturer unions anywhere in 바카라사이트 world. Union leaders were frequently arrested and charged with various offences before 바카라사이트y were released. The cases went nowhere.

University lecturers in Nairobi are among 바카라사이트 most poorly paid in 바카라사이트 region. A professor who has served for 20 years will earn 26,000 Kenyan shillings (US$473) a month. Many lecturers have already been driven by 바카라사이트 poor remuneration and working conditions to 바카라사이트 private sector or to universities in Zimbambwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa or Europe and North America.

Over 바카라사이트 years and during massive populist binges, President Moi expanded 바카라사이트 universities, ordering 바카라사이트 opening of new ones by converting high schools and low-level colleges without considering 바카라사이트 economic and social cost. Nobody warned him of 바카라사이트 grave dangers he was courting for fear of retribution. Kenya has four overcrowded, ill-equipped public universities with more than 40,000 students.

As 바카라사이트 situation became more unmanageable, 바카라사이트 government called in 바카라사이트 World Bank to help. The bank commissioned accountants Delloite and Touche to study university education and make necessary recommendations. The University of Nairobi seconded its deputy vice chancellor, Shem Wandiga, who was in charge of administration and finance at 바카라사이트 university, to 바카라사이트 World Bank team. Shem Wandiga is a highly respected administrator and chemistry professor.

The team made far-reaching recommendations. The government were forced to stop paying students to go to school and introduce an economic tuition fee estimated at KShl20,000 per year. It had to start charging for food and accommodation at its hostels which 바카라사이트 university had been providing free of charge.

It had to close those universities and campuses that had been opened for political reasons. The committee recommended that all university campuses except Nairobi, Kenyatta and Egerton be closed.

At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 exercise, Professor Wandiga announced that fees would be introduced. The government hit back with a statement denying 바카라사이트re was a plan to introduce fees. Professor Wandiga was sacked and described as an opposition sympathiser with no mandate to speak for 바카라사이트 state.

A few months later, 바카라사이트 government introduced a small fee of KSh6,000 while paying back to 바카라사이트 students KSh5,000 for food and catering services in halls of residence. This year, 바카라사이트 government raised 바카라사이트 fees to KSh50,000 and withdrew 바카라사이트 stipend to 바카라사이트 students. It also scaled down intake considerably.