There are 37 public universities and three university colleges. In addition, the government has significantly increased its investment in the technical and vocational training by increasing the number of Tvet institutions that now stand at 2,400.
These institutions are situated in local communities that historically provided the initial capital for their initiation and establishment. Many of them were elevated during President Mwai Kibaki’s second administration between the years 2008 and 2012.
Political leaders at the time scrambled and lobbied the President for the establishment of these elite institutions in their respective constituencies or regions.
The communities thus felt a strong sense of ownership over these otherwise public entities. Coincidentally, a number of the institutions acquired local community or ethnic names as their official tittles. These circumstances have on many occasions caused tension that sometimes turn violent.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission has several times cited universities as not complying with the provisions of the NCIC Act guiding employment.
At the Meru University of Science and Technology, local community and political leaders organised to have the vice chancellor Romanus Odhiambo sacked.
Their contention was that the university belongs to them and thus must reserve slots for goods and services supply, employment and student admission. It took the violent protest of the students to reinstate Odhiambo.
This and many similar events serve to demonstrate that universities are becoming bastions of tribal chauvinism. This does not augur well for national unity and patriotism.
It may easily turn into a governance crisis during the period leading to the 2027 general election. Since most if not all curricula are not infused with the values of nationhood and principles of good citizenship, universities and Tvets must design innovative and fit for purpose programmes that would mitigate the risk of ethnic profiling in the institutions. This will be extremely useful in the prevailing toxic political environment.
Traditionally, universities were learning centres established to provide education that was liberal and utopian. In the good old times, civilisations determined what type of knowledge was transmitted to the people.
Civilised societies were stratified and segregated people into class systems. Each class received special education necessary for their role in the society. Those who belonged to the trading class were given training in business and commerce. Those born into royalty were trained in disciplines that enhanced their leadership capabilities.
While some others were inducted into technical crafts that enabled them support the infrastructural development of the society. Then there were those who trained in military skills for the defence of the realm.
In this period, such trainings were offered by philosophers in the monarch’s court. Education in ancient Greece focused on paideia—the holistic development of a citizen—and varied drastically by city-state. Athens emphasised a well-rounded mind and body through private tutors. Conversely, Sparta enforced a brutal, state-run military camp called the agoge to forge elite warriors.
Education in the Roman Empire was not state-funded; it was largely private, class-dependent and heavily focused on rote memorisation and practical training.
Wealthy families hired private tutors or sent boys to formal schools, while lower-class children received little to no schooling, learning trades through apprenticeships instead. The Roman educational journey was deeply influenced by Greek methods and was broken down into distinct stages based on age, social class and gender.
Young men from wealthy families and aristocrats preparing for careers in politics, the military, or law advanced to specialised schools of rhetoric. The focus of the curriculum shifted entirely to public speaking, law, philosophy and the art of persuasion to mold them into effective civic leaders.
For the poorer majority, there was no structured or standardised system. While some lower-class children picked up basic literacy, most did not attend formal schools. Instead, they entered the labour force early, working in agriculture or trade and learning a specific craft via apprenticeships.
The world's first university was established in 859 CE in Fez, Morocco, as a mosque and madrasa (Islamic school) by Fatima al-Fihri, an educated woman who used her inherited wealth to build it. Over centuries, it expanded into a leading degree-granting centre for theology, medicine and mathematics.
Because "university" definitions vary, the establishment of higher education differs based on what type of institution is being referenced. The University of Bologna in Italy is widely considered the oldest university in the Western world.
Established in 1088, it created the term "universitas" (meaning a guild of students) and pioneered the structured curriculum and degree-awarding system we use today.
Later on, Oxford and Cambridge universities were established in the Middle Ages as centres for advanced religious and secular study. Oxford emerged first as a teaching hub in 1096.
Cambridge was founded shortly after in 1209 by scholars who fled Oxford following violent disputes with local townsfolk. The two institutions were established to standardise and elevate higher education in Europe, providing specialised training in theology, philosophy and law. Below is the breakdown of their establishment.
In the Middle Ages, there was a growing need to educate clergy and administrators. Scholars and masters gathered in these specific locations to form communities of learning and teach the liberal arts, theology and Roman law.
The contemporary university has evolved into a dynamic engine of global progress, transforming from a traditional repository of knowledge into a multifaceted institution. Its primary role is to drive socioeconomic development through high-level education, groundbreaking scientific research and community engagement.
Having recognised the importance of education in general and of higher education in the socioeconomic development of the continent, African governments have declared the 21st century as a knowledge era.
It is on the basis of such convictions about and anticipations on university education that many governments have laboured over the years to improve access, quality and relevance of university education.
This has culminated in the ‘massification’ of higher education across many countries, including those of Africa in general and Kenya in particular. Through the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2005, universities and technical training institutes have been established in almost every county.
The increase in the numbers of universities have since ensured that all the high school candidates who qualify for university education get admission and government sponsorship to pursue higher education. These are young men and women who are technology savvy.
They are also susceptible to local and global radicalisation activities. This has been and will continue to pose a serious security challenge to the managers and government at large. Institutions of higher learning situated in the rural areas will face higher risks of ethnic hostilities.
While the need to satisfy local community needs cannot be gainsaid, the university leadership must find strategies to inculcate virtues of nationalism. Students and staff should be guided to and made to appreciate the bounty of the cultural diversity of the nation.
This would make the university community support national cohesion and integration across the country. The synergy arising will stimulate academic vigor and spur innovation.
Ultimately, the most successful university systems serve as both engines of national development and bastions of independent, critical thought, ensuring that the pursuit of truth ultimately benefits society as a whole.
As they pursue their mandates, universities should promote national interests, provided those interests are broadly defined as advancing the public good. Institutions of higher education are deeply intertwined with the prosperity and societal fabric of their home countries, though they must balance this with their duty to global knowledge and academic freedom.
Because they rely heavily on public funding, universities have an implicit responsibility to yield a return on investment through relevant research and community service.
In many countries, universities are vital for fostering social cohesion, reducing ethnic or cultural biases and building a unified, patriotic citizenry equipped to lead public institutions.
They also have a cardinal responsibility to drive local innovation, supply skilled workforces and develop technology that directly bolsters national competitiveness in the global economy.
