Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has issued a stern warning to Kenya’s public universities, calling for urgent reforms to restore integrity, performance, and accountability in the higher education sector.
Speaking during a virtual consultative meeting attended by chancellors, university council chairpersons, and vice-chancellors, Koskei outlined a bold reform agenda aimed at realigning universities with the law, national priorities, and the evolving aspirations of Kenyans.
The meeting addressed pressing concerns, including governance weaknesses, declining education quality, and the slow implementation of the new funding model. Koskei criticized the failure of many institutions to fulfill their core mandates, citing weak governance structures, poor succession planning, and confusion in roles between councils, management, and chancellors.
He also expressed concern over persistent conflicts with county governments, underperformance in research and innovation, a lack of global collaboration, and chronic infrastructural inefficiencies.
“The time for complacency is over,” said Koskei. “Universities must reclaim their role as engines of transformation built on integrity, performance, and excellence.” He stressed that political interference and patronage in university affairs must come to an end.
Koskei announced that government support for public universities will now be performance-based, with funding tied to legal compliance, academic output, and measurable impact. Annual institutional evaluations will be introduced to assess financial health, academic standards, and innovation capacity.
To enhance oversight and policy coordination, a new structured engagement framework will be established to link the Office of the President, the Ministry of Education, and public universities.
“The quality of graduates must reflect the seriousness of public investment. It is time to match resources with results,” Koskei added.
While reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting the sector, he emphasized that only institutions aligned with national development goals and capable of delivering tangible value to students and society would continue to receive public funding.
Koskei’s remarks signal a turning point for public universities, with a clear directive: reform now or risk being left behind.
