Bill limits varsity deputy CVs to three

Public universities will not hire more than three assistant vice chancellors under a bill that comes amid calls to restructure institutions in the wake of mounting debts.

The changes are contained in the State-backed University Amendment Bill (2021) that for the first time will limit the number of deputies in the institutions.

Institutions such as the University of Nairobi (UoN) and Kenyatta University (KU) have four deputy vice chancellors who are in charge of finance, administration, academics, and research.

The proposed changes come at a time of increased calls to restructure public universities and merge others as institutions grapple with debts estimated at Sh34 billion.

“The chancellor of a public university shall be supported in the performance of his duties by no more than three deputy vice chancellors,” says the bill sponsored by Majority Leader Amos Kimunya.

Universities with more than three associate vice-chancellors will have six months to modify their bylaws once the proposals become law.

This is the first time that deputy vice chancellor positions will be limited and comes at a time when the Treasury and Parliament are pushing to merge public universities in an effort to cut costs.

The Treasury first announced plans to merge public universities in June 2019, but the plans flew backwards after the Education Ministry said it would seek comprehensive reforms.

In April, the International Monetary Fund said that public universities should be restructured to save them from financial difficulties, further consolidating the state’s drive to reorganize institutions.

Last month, the UN abolished its eight universities and collapsed functions around 35 to 11 faculties in a move to eliminate duplication and cut costs.

All positions of directors and deputy directors were abolished and their functions were reorganized under new positions of executive deans and associates.

UoN, like other public universities, is grappling with cash flow challenges in the wake of reduced government funding and the sharp drop in the number of self-funded students.

Institutions are struggling to meet obligations such as payroll taxes, retirement benefits and insurance premiums for employees, according to a report presented in Parliament.

Public universities owe the Kenya Revenue Authority, the National Hospital Insurance Fund, the National Social Security Fund, pension plans, insurance companies and saccos about 34 billion shillings, according to a report presented in the National Assembly.