Ethnicity in Kenyan Universities

Abstract

In Kenya, ethnicity has been one of the social problems since independence. It cuts across all sectors of the economy including education. Ethnicity is witnessed in forms of recruitment, promotion, transfer and deployment of lecturers and other non-teaching members of staff. In the universities there is ethnic consideration in recruitment of Chairs of the Council, Vice Chancellors and their Deputies and other top leaders. Politicians in many cases have tried to influence appointments of the top leaderships of public universities. The public universities have more lecturers and the non-teaching staff from the local ethnic group. Ethnicity has also impacted university students as well, especially when electing their student leaders. This paper examines the causes of ethnicity and some of the recommendations on how to tackle the vice. Some of the recommendations include empowering the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and vetting of Vice Chancellors and Council members.