To point out the paradox of our world
“Scandal of Kenyan Universities without a single professor.”
Kenya, like most African countries, makes rules or laws then spends time working around them.
It is un-African to take the right, ethical or legal paths on anything, sadly, even in education.
The article states that Kenya churn out bachelors and master degrees in universities which do not have one professor. Classes are taught by their peers, meaning the brightest of the class teaches their fellow students. Like some African governments, universities are on auto-pilot.
The University of Nairobi, largest in Kenya, has 22000 students with 110 professors, one professor for every 200 students.
Duke University in North Carolina has 12800 students with 1338 professors. That’s one professor for every 10 students.
The United States International University (USIU) in Kenya has 4706 students with 14 professors, a ratio of professor to students lower than the University of Nairobi.
But, if your family name is not branded your Alma Mater’s name is of great help in job hunting. You have the financial means then USIU is the way to go.
Anyway, the best jobs in Africa are not provided on academic credentials but on daddy’s name and how well the family recycled the laundered money stolen, from the state coffer, acquiring them a legitimate place in society.
The Kenyan government is powerless to redress universities issues because “public universities are independent entities formed by an Act of Parliament, and the power of the commission to curb sub-standard practices is limited.”
So many learning institutions work like diploma mills. Learning is the future of a society but also a business. Business is brisk but I am not convinced the diplomas are worth their values. Diplomas surely look good hanged on walls.
Kenya, in 2010, has a score of 2.1 over 10 on the corruption perception index while the lowest score of 1.1 belongs to Somalia.
I mean in Africa you can put a uniform and assume the role of doctor, policeman, contractor, chef, pharmacist and whatever else you want to be without ever going to school.
Africa does not have the monopoly in such con games, it is only more common.
I asked a “Chef” once to devein prawns. He cut a slit on the belly of the crustacean yet the digestive track is on the back.
“Who taught you to do that?”
“I learned it in school!” he answered.
Interesting to know that, in Kenya with no or little professors, it takes 5 to 6 years to become a medical doctor.
In USA and France it takes 10 to 12 years to acquire the same title. Visualize, you finish school at 18 and become a doctor at 30.
In Kenya you are a doctor at 24 or three years after drinking legal ages in some US States. I believe it is the same for lawyers. So think, a lawyer barely fresh out of puberty arguing a divorce case.
I hear Kenya wants a nuclear plant to generate electricity.
Would you live in a city, close to a nuclear plant, built by graduates taught by absentee professors?
Same here too! Show me the exit. Please, where is the exit?
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