By Joel Clinton
Once upon a time in Kenya’s education landscape stood four great brothers, Maseno, Egerton, JKUAT, and Masinde Muliro. They were among the first to embrace higher learning long before younger institutions emerged. Their foundations were strong, and their reputations were impressive. Generations trusted them; parents prayed for admissions, and students dreamed of walking their halls.But as the years went by, the four brothers grew complacent.
Maseno, the eldest, was once known for its discipline and strong academics. Now, it has become the harshest of them all. Students share stories of endless harassment, where staff treat basic services as rare privileges and a registration system that is always broken. Today, the chaos surrounding unit registration, caused by mixing household payments with government contributions, has left thousands stranded. Maseno, despite its loud claims of being a tech leader, struggles to keep its portals working.
Egerton, the calm middle brother, took pride in academics. It managed to solve the long-standing problem of missing marks, but it got stuck in a mess of fee-balance errors. Students log into their portals only to find strange numbers displayed. Complaints rarely get heard because security officers arrive within minutes to silence anyone who speaks too loudly.
Then there is JKUAT, once the shining star of innovation. It impressed the country with its engineering achievements and high standards. But recently, its brilliance has faded. Missing marks have returned, fee errors are increasing, and a sense of urgency in administration seems to have vanished. The systems that once made JKUAT a model university are now crumbling from neglect.
Masinde Muliro, the last brother, faces its own challenges. Its biggest issue is missing marks—a problem so severe that entire departments, like Education, can go for semesters with only a handful of results posted. For a university that prides itself on technology and progress, this shortcoming is particularly painful.
Ironically, younger universities like Tharaka, Chuka, DeKUT, Murang’a, and Alupe have already surpassed their “parents.” They operate efficient portals, listen to students, resolve issues quickly, and maintain systems that the older brothers insist are too “complex.”
Then there is Moi University, often ridiculed by the public. Yet, despite the noise, its systems operate smoothly, processes function, and students face fewer digital issues. Its main struggle? Debt, not disorder.
The four brothers once led the way in higher education. Now, they lag behind the very institutions they inspired.
It is time they rise again.Because students deserve better.
