Private Higher Education in Kenya: The Partner in Development

Private higher education has made a significant contribution to Kenya’s capacity to meet demand for tertiary education, enrolling between 15 and 20% of the university students for the past three decades. The sector remains central to Kenya’s development agenda, particularly in meeting its ambition to improve gross enrollment in higher education from 7% to 15% as outlined in the National Education Sector Strategic Plan, 2018–2022. The policy environment has been supportive with the state formulating policies to encourage public–private partnerships in the provision of higher education. The legal basis for the participation of the private sector in the provision of university education is derived from the Universities Education Act No. 42 of 2012, which established the Commission for University Education. The supportive policy environment notwithstanding, the contribution of the private higher education sector to the growth of higher education in Kenya is not well-researched and understood. This chapter examines the contribution of the sector to the development of higher education in Kenya, focusing on its history, ownership, financing and management, programs of study, staff and student establishment. The chapter also delves into critical concerns such as the role of the sector in addressing gender inequities, marginalization of poor households on matters of access to higher education, quality, and quality assurance issues including employability of graduates from private universities and their level of participation in research.