State agencies that fund students in universities and colleges have painted a picture of how the merged funding body proposed by President William Ruto should look like.
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the Universities Fund (UF) in two separate reports have recommended new governance structures for the merged funding body and also proposed their staff are retained under the new outfit. They have also proposed legislative changes that should be effected and suggested a number of names that can be adopted for the new merged body.
The details are contained in reports by HELB and UF presented to Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms. Charles Ringera and Geoffrey Monari are the present chief executives of HELB and UF respectively.In their reports to education task force, the agencies say even though their present organisations have different structures and terms of engagement for staff members, they should not be disadvantaged with the transition.Loans Directorate and Tertiary Education Grants Management.
While Universities Fund proposes creation of Tertiary Education Grants Management Directorate and Tertiary Education Student Aid & Loans Directorate.
“The Chief Executive Officers of the UF and HELB assume the positions of the Heads of the two directorates,” reads UF report.
UF reports further says that these proposals are key to continuation of key functions of the Commission by maintaining minimum disruption of operations.
“It will also enable the Commission maintain institutional memory on processes and procedures pertaining to financing of the higher education sector,” reads UF report.
Report suggests that each directorate of the Commission shall have such autonomy as to enable it discharge its professional mandate and shall for purposes of efficiently and effectively finance the higher education sector.
The UF further explains in its proposal that there shall be a Director General who shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission to be recruited by the Commission through a competitive process.
The Commission shall however organise its secretariat into such directorates, with the approval of the Cabinet Secretary, taking into account the functions of the Commission under the new Act and any other Act of Parliament.
“Each directorate of the Commission shall have such autonomy as to enable it to discharge its professional mandate and shall for purposes of effectively and efficiently funding higher education,” reads the report.
Also under the new structures, it is proposed that secretariat of former institutions become directorates of the Commission.
“The respective secretariats or management units of the respective former institutions shall on the appointed date become directorates of the Commission as the Commission may deem necessary for the effective performance of its functions,” reads report.
These finer details are contained in a proposal made by Universities Fund on the suggested Higher Education Funding Act.
The report suggests that the new body comprises a chairman appointed by the President. Members to the board shall include the Secretary to the KUCCPS, the Chief Executive of the TVET Authority and PSs in charge of Higher Education and Research and Ministry of Finance or their representatives.
Also to be included are representatives for public and private universities, chairman of the Kenya Association of Technical Institutions, Executive Director of the Federation of Kenya Employers.
Also proposed to sit on the board are two persons who have proven knowledge and experience in Financial and legal and the Director General of the Commission who shall be an ex-officio member.
