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Jkuat shuts down campus in Rwanda

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Vice Chancellor Mabel Imbuga addresses participants of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Services convention at Kenya School of Government in Nairobi on July 21, 2015. Jkuat has shut down its Rwanda campus. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  OUMA WANZALA

What you need to know:

  • Council chairman Paul Kanyari said other students will be distributed to Rwandan universities.
  • Education CS Matiang'i directed Jkuat and KU to close their campuses in Rwanda and Tanzania.

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology has finally shut down its Rwanda campus, with some students set to transferred to its Juja campus in Kiambu County.

Council chairman Paul Kanyari said other students will be distributed to Rwandan universities under the credit transfer programme, while others who wish to pursue their studies through open distance learning programme will be allowed to do so.

However, Prof Kanyari declined to disclose the number of students affected by the closure.

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"The winding up of the institution is in compliance with government directive," he said.

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
The closure of the institution followed a series of meetings between the management, Rwanda’s Higher Education Council, students and staff at the campus on Thursday.

Higher Education Council executive director Emmanuel Muvunyi said the purpose of the meetings was to agree on exit strategies.

Kenyatta University, which also invested Sh370 million in its Rwanda campus, is shopping for a buyer of its property after failing to admit students.

In July this year, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i directed the two universities to close their campuses in Rwanda and Tanzania.

FUNDS
The directive comes after the Tanzanian government blocked the institutes from admitting students in September, citing flawed standards.

The operation of the two universities in Rwanda and Tanzania has not been rosy as even Parliament questioned the rational of having their campuses outside Kenya.

Last year, Jkuat Vice-Chancellor Mabel Imbuga told the Parliamentary Investment Committee that the institution used Sh10 million to start the Arusha centre and Sh21 million on the Kigali campus.

THEFT OF MONEY
The Arusha campus was established on November 2010 and the one in Kigali in 2012.

Last year, the university sacked its Kigali campus director over the disappearance of more than Sh20 million.

The money had been collected from students in Rwanda, where he was serving as the campus coordinator.

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