Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has challenged universities to focus on the quality of education and the skills graduates acquire, saying institutions must look beyond student enrolment to the knowledge and values they impart.
“We must not only ask ourselves how many students enter universities, but also focus on what they learn. What problems they can solve, what values they carry, and what they give back after graduation,” Ogamba said.
Speaking on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at State House, Nairobi, during the award of a charter to International Leadership University (ILU), Ogamba said universities must demonstrate their contribution to Kenya, Africa and the world through quality teaching, relevant academic programmes, research and effective governance.
“The true measure of this charter will be reflected in the quality of teaching, the relevance of academic programs, the integrity of the governance in place, the value of research and the contribution of the university’s graduates to Kenya, Africa and the world,” he said.
Ogamba said private universities had widened access to higher education and created new academic pathways, contributing to research, innovation and human capital development.
“Your Excellency, Kenya currently has 41 private universities which have widened access to university education and created new academic pathways, contributing to research, innovation and human capital development,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary said private universities had enrolled 153,999 students, representing 21.7 per cent of the country’s university student population.
“Currently, the private universities have enrolled a total of 153,999 students out of the 707,150,000 students in all our universities in Kenya, accounting for 21.7% of university students,” Ogamba said.
The figure of 707,150,000 in the supplied transcript appears inconsistent with the stated percentage and should be verified against the official speech before publication.
Ogamba cautioned that expanding university enrolment must go hand in hand with better education and improved learning outcomes.
“Well, the numbers are impressive. More students must also mean better education, not just more seats,” he said.
He described private universities as important partners in improving higher education and urged institutions to focus on equipping students with knowledge and values that would benefit society.
“Private universities are key partners in this effort,” he said.
The Education CS said quality assurance was essential in protecting the credibility of academic qualifications and maintaining public confidence in Kenya’s education system.
“Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, in this regard, quality assurance is indispensable. It protects the value of honest degrees and protects public confidence in our education system,” he said.
Ogamba said the award of the charter confirmed that International Leadership University had undergone the required assessment and met the established standards.
“Today’s charter tells every family that the International Leadership University has been through the process and has met the standards,” he said.
Ogamba’s remarks came as President William Ruto challenged universities to redesign their teaching around real-world problems and strengthen partnerships with employers to prepare students for the workplace.
During the same State House event, Ruto urged institutions to incorporate practical problem-solving into their academic programmes and ensure students gain workplace experience before graduation.
“I therefore challenge International Leadership University and every university in Kenya to make four commitments. First, teach through real challenges and problems,” Ruto said.
He proposed that counties provide students with urban planning challenges, hospitals share service delivery problems and cooperatives present post-harvest losses for students to investigate and solve.
“Let students apply their knowledge and give us results,” he added.
Ruto also highlighted demand for workplace experience after the government received 150,000 applications within 24 hours for 50,000 internship opportunities.
“Yesterday, we did announce, as Government of Kenya in internship opportunities for 50,000 students. The application will be on a digital platform. I am informed that by this morning we had 150,000 applicants within 24 hours,” he said.
The President urged universities to work more closely with employers to expand practical attachments and help students acquire experience before completing their studies.
The remarks by both leaders place renewed emphasis on the need for universities to produce graduates who can apply their knowledge to challenges in healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and public service.
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