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Public universities’ management are required to protect the scarce resources available by putting them into proper use, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has directed.

He said insolvency has affected quite a number of public universities, coming against the backdrop of discouraging financial resource reports and austerity measures now urgently required for these institutions.

Mudavadi said he recently issued strict policy measures to guard against graft and wastage in State Corporations adding that universities are no exception. “The Inspectorate of State Corporations (ISC) has clear instructions to discharge its mandate in holding State Corporations management accountable for financial malfeasance. There will be frequent inspection of individual State Corporations and universities to ensure conformity with statutes, regulations and policies,” said Mudavadi.

In particular, he said Boards or Councils and the CEOs are expected to respect the division of labour between them as a matter of course to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.

He was speaking yesterday at University of Nairobi (UoN), Upper Kabete Campus during the ground-breaking ceremony of Agricultural Technology and Innovation Centre (ATIC).

The initiative is a partnership between UoN and Elgon Kenya Limited.
Mudavadi made the remarks even as he urged universities to embrace agricultural innovations and research to create solutions that seeks to ease the cost of living.

He said the agricultural sector is the backbone of the economy, contributing approximately 33 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Similarly, the sector employs over 40 per cent of the total population and 70 per cent of the rural population.
“There is a rising demand for agricultural products driven by population growth. For instance, Kenyan’s population is estimated to hit the 55 million mark this year,” said Mudavadi.