Team calls for law on Coast university

The Government has been asked to speed up enactment of a law on establishment of a university at the Coast.

The task force formed to plan for the proposed university also requires money for its operations. The team was set up this week in a meeting of Members of Parliament and scholars from the region to explore its location and curriculum to be offered in the institution.
Egerton University’s deputy vice-chancellor Prof Shaukat Abdulrazak who chairs the 18-member team, said yesterday that the law will enable them complete their task on schedule.
Universities are set up by an Act of Parliament.

“Now that the Government has indicated its intention to build a university at the Coast, Parliament has to come up with an act establishing it. Once we have the legal framework, it will be easier for our committee to propose the structure and courses to be offered,” he said.

Courses and location

Prof Abdulrazak said they had divided the team into several sub-committees that would deal with courses, infrastructure and location.

During the meeting attended by seven MPs at the Coast provincial commissioner’s boardroom, it was suggested that the new university has campuses in each of the region’s 10 districts.
In addition, it was proposed that the institution be named Pwani university.

A suggestion by Lamu West MP Fahim Twaha that it be called Kibaki University was overruled by scholars who said the country should end the culture of naming institutions after leaders.
Prof Abdulrazak said Sh1 billion set aside was not enough for construction of the institution.
“Sh1 billion can’t take us somewhere unless the university is built on existing infrastructure. Then we can start with courses requiring minimum input as we focus on the next course of action,” he said.

The leaders had suggested that the first intake be in September this year, but Prof Abdulrazak said, that will only be possible if the relevant law is enacted.

Form the senate

He said the committee would come up with courses once there was a university council and senate. “The senate can decide on courses to be studied or we adopt those approved in other universities,” he said.
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Daily Nation
Story by JUMA NAMLOLA
Publication Date: 4/18/2007