Financial problems, sexual pervasion among some lecturers, poor quality of learning, lack of serious scholarly output and questionable degree courses have come to define a majority of universities.
All these challenges can be traced and blamed on management failure and a culture of impunity.
But the composition of university management is becoming another problem.
A cursory look at the calibre of senior management in most universities reveals that most top positions, especially among the councils, senates and faculty — such as vice-chancellors, their deputies, deans, heads of departments, college principals and registrars — are occupied by individuals from the community where the institution is based.
This means a university is basically run by people from the community that makes up the majority of inhabitants there.
This creation of tribal enclaves in universities does not happen by coincidence, however.
It is deliberate, contrived and conspiratorial. Although most individuals holding these senior positions generally possess the credentials required for the titles, they don’t earn them in a fair and competitive manner as would be expected in a professionally run institution.
By failing to embrace diversity and multiculturalism in management, universities become insular and devoid of a nationalistic, let alone global, look.
Lack of ethnical and cultural heterogeneity engenders feelings of exclusion and discrimination among those who do not belong to the community holding the reins of power. This, in turn, reduces the university to an ethnic citadel.
Universities of repute across the globe go out of their way to ensure their management, faculty and student communities are as culturally diverse as possible.
Indeed, most craft their requirements for top positions to favour international applicants as they seek to attract foreign students through scholarships and other benefits. Most offer international exchange programmes.
A diverse institution is not only seen as more welcoming, flexible and globalised; it also prepares students for the real world, which is a melting pot of cultures and languages.
If a university is perceived as belonging to a certain community, how would it attract such a richly diverse faculty and student community?
The Constitution requires public institutions to observe ethnic diversity.
Universities, whether public or private, as the beacons of academics, should be at the forefront of actualising that.
Except for the unskilled jobs, all other positions must be filled competitively. Universities that do not embrace cultural diversity should be forced to do so. They must reflect the face of Kenya.
