Three former Egerton University students have petitioned the National Assembly to investigate it, saying it offers an engineering course not accredited by the regulator.
The three – David Okoti, Ian Nyaga and Elvin Onyango – said they graduated in 2019 with bachelor of science degrees in water and environmental engineering but cannot find work as the course is not approved by the Engineers Board of Kenya.
They said that after learning the course was not accredited when they enrolled, they raised the matter with Egerton between 2014 and 2019. They were reassured that it would be approved before they graduated but that did not happen.
In 2018, Egerton told them it had signed an agreement with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology to allow them to use its engineering facilities as it is accredited to offer the course but that did not happen.
The petitioners were required to enrol for eight remedial units so as to be accredited by the Engineers Board.
Because they graduated with unaccredited degrees, they are ineligible for registration as engineers and cannot be employed to offer professional services.
Section 50 of the Engineers Act states that “a person who is not registered as a professional engineer or firm shall not be entitled to submit engineering plans, surveys, drawings, schemes, proposals, reports, designs or studies to any person or authority in Kenya”.
The petitioners now want Egerton to help them enrol for the required remedial units so they can upgrade their degrees to the accredited bachelor of science in civil and environmental engineering.
They also want MPs to investigate why Egerton continues to offer the course despite knowing that it is not accredited.
Reacting to the petition on the floor of the House on Wednesday afternoon, MPs said they will widen the scope of their investigations to include universities and colleges offering courses not approved by relevant academic bodies.
“There is a need to bring amendments to the University Act so that no course can be offered without being accredited by the various bodies,” said Endebess MP Robert Pukose.
“I believe there are many courses at the universities that are offered and not registered. It’s also the role of professional bodies to visit the universities and check the courses whether they are accredited.”
Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi said the petitioners had raised fundamental issues about what is going on at universities.
“How can a serious university like Egerton offer courses without involving the Engineers Board of Kenya?” he said.
Mr Osotsi challenged the board to be proactive rather than waiting for students to graduate and then disowning the degrees.
Pokot South MP David Pkosing said the petition had lifted the lid on what universities are offering and what the job market needs.
“It looks there is a disconnect between suppliers, who are colleges, and demand, which is the job market. They are not together. It seems each is doing their own things. Why spend five years in college in a course not registered,” he said.
The Education Committee will meet next week with the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, the Engineers Board, university councils and the Ministry of Education over the mushrooming of unapproved university courses.
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