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JKUAT campus ranked as the worst in Rwanda


A Kenyan public university has been rated last in 2016 ranking of 29 universities by Rwanda’s higher education regulator.

The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Campus in Rwanda was placed 29 out of 29 institution in a ranking exercise that was conducted by the country’s Higher Education Commission (HEC).

However, Kenyatta University which has a campus in Rwanda, was not ranked as it is yet to start its operations there after the Kenya government disowned its operations in the neighbouring country early this year.

JKUAT scored 171 marks out of 1,000 in an exercise that saw the University of Rwanda, Kigali, emerge top with 592marks.

All universities in Rwanda were rated on infrastructure, which looked at physical and academic, with 230 marks with JKUAT scoring  88, faculty, research, consultancy and other programmes with 350, JKUAT scored 35, admission, curriculum  and delivery systems with 150 marks the university scored 5, while in placement, networking and industry interface  with 270 marks , JKUAT scored 43.

Mount Kenya University, was rated position 11 scoring 380 marks out 1,000. The institution is currently putting up a fully-fledged university in Rwanda.

RANKING EXERCISE

MKU under infrastructure  scored 88, faculty, research, consultancy and other programmes it scored 87, while on admission, curriculum and delivery systems  it scored  75 while in placement, networking  and  Industry Interface it got 129.

“The purpose of this ranking exercise is to make higher education provisions more transparent for stakeholders and making a good ground for competitiveness for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs),” the report states.

The three universities have invested heavily in Rwanda.

A report submitted to the National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee (PIC) chaired Eldas MP Adan Keynan, mid this year indicates that JKUAT spent Sh450 million to set up campuses in Rwanda and Tanzania.

JKUAT vice chancellor Mabel Imbuga said the institution used Sh10 million as seed capital for Arusha centre and Sh21 million for Kigali campus.

Kenyatta University said it spent Sh370 million on setting up a campus in Rwanda and Sh53 million on establishing another one in Arusha.

The committee has since ordered the Auditor General to carry out an audit on the operations of the two universities in the two countries.

CLOSE COLLABORATION

Higher education regulator Commission of University Education’s chief executive David Some said the commission did not approve the setting up of campuses outside Kenya.

The study on Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in Rwanda was conducted in close collaboration with HEC and academic experts in the area of Higher Education in Rwanda.

The objective of the study was conducted in order to understand the data provided by the HEIs and gain clarity with respect to relevance of parameters and sub parameters to be used as per the education scenario in Rwanda.

The exercise, HEC says will enable it to understand the distribution of weightages to various parameters and sub parameters for ranking the HEIs in an effective manner.

The report notes that the ranking will help identify, assess and evaluate overall situation existing in the education sector in the country and plan for the future keeping these insights in mind.

The methodology used for collection of data included datasheet, questionnaire and interviews by education experts.