The Standard | Kamar: Varsities concealed staff ethnic identities

The Standard | Kamar: Varsities concealed staff ethnic identities

By Augustine Oduor

The top management of public universities are on the spot for allegedly concealing ethnic identities of their staff during a survey conducted by National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

Higher Education Minister Margaret Kamar said Vice Chancellors, their deputies, council chairpersons and principals of constituent colleges have been summoned to a meeting this week to explain why false information was given to NCIC.

Early this month, NCIC released a report on ethnic balance in public universities (related story)

Details availed to NCIC by universities show that the total number of employees working in the six public institutions and 13 constituent colleges stands at 14, 996.

Higher Education Minister Prof Margaret Kamar [Photo:File/Standard]

However, it has emerged that the figures provided by the universities were incorrect.

Higher education Permanent Secretary Prof Crispus Kiamba said staff at the University of Nairobi alone was more than half the number provided.

"The University of Nairobi has over 7000 employees. This means that the figures provided for the survey are not correct," he said.

Kamar said all the institutions will repeat the census and warned of stern measures against those who fabricate the information.

She said it would be unfortunate for institutions of higher learning to provide inaccurate information to NCIC.

"We must get the exact figures, even based on last month’s pay slips. This exercise is important," she said.

The minister spoke during a briefing with NCIC officials at Jogoo House. Also present were assistant ministers Kilemi Mwiria and Asman Kamama.

The NCIC survey was meant to indicate the composition and ranking of staff from the same tribe as that of the vice-chancellors and college principals.

NCIC vice chair Mary Onyango said some of the universities gave wrong figures, others did not code the data in a manner in which junior workers could be identified from their seniors and their tribes.

Maseno University did not avail any staff information. According to NCIC, the Vice Chancellor requested more time to provide the data.

But Kamar said the university must avail the correct information ahead of Thursday’s meeting.

The initial report by NCIC indicated that information from about 10 of these institutions shows that the majority of their staff are from the same ethnic community as the Vice Chancellor or principal.

It indicated that the big five ethnic groups in Kenya – Kikuyu, Luhya, Kalenjin, Luo and Kamba – dominate the workforce of the centers of higher education.