The Growth of Private University Education in Kenya: The Promise and Challenge

Abstract

The first step toward the introduction and development of university education in Kenya was taken in 1961, when the then Royal College, Nairobi, was elevated to university college status under a special arrangement with the University of London. However, it was not until 1970 that the University College of Nairobi attained university status. Although comparatively young, state universities in Kenya have accomplished a lot. They accomplished their initial mission of producing adequate human resources for the civil service, national corporations, and the private sector; graduated thousands of students; and helped foster an intellectual community in the country. In just 30 years, public higher education has expanded from a single university (the University of Nairobi) to the current 6 public universities: Nairobi, Moi, Kenyatta, Egerton, Jomo Kenyatta, and Maseno. In spite of this growth, public universities in Kenya have faced enrollments beyond their capacity to plan and finance, fiscal challenges beyond their control, a decline in quality beyond their anticipation, and weak management practices beyond their level of training. To help solve some of these problems, private universities have increasingly emerged and gained ground in the country as an alternative route to higher education provision. This article seeks to examine some of the trends, prospects, and challenges to the emergence and development of private university education in Kenya.