Former Gichugu MP Martha Karua admitted that Kenyan universities have compromised the quality of various academic programs they offer.
Articulating her sentiments in his official Twitter handle, Karua was responding to a comment on Prof Makau Mutua's post.
Makau Mutua complained about how President Kibaki's administration encouraged the establishment of a university in every ethnic region without taking into consideration the tenets of quality of learning.
"Ironically it was under President Mwai Kibaki — Kenya’s most educated head of state — that the county’s higher education went sideways. He sanctioned a university for every ethnic group and village — without rhyme or reason," read Prof Mutua's post.
Collins echoed professor's opinion adding that the mentioned administration spoilt once very great technical institutions by converting them to universities.
"Before we could recover from his blanket FPE blunder, he started sanctioning 'universities' only by the name and turning great technical institutions into the same," argued Collins.
In a rejoinder, Karua defended Kibaki's administration, which she was part of while reminding Collins that expansion of university education benefitted many.
However, the ex-presidential candidate expressed reservations over quality optimization in those institutions since the beginning of the expansion.
"The failure to ensure quality is a regulation failure which has affected all universities including the mother institution the UON," noted Karua.
The Twitter debate comes at a time when the education cabinet secretary George Magoha is undertaking various reforms targeted at restoring quality in Kenyan universities, including revocation of fraudulently acquired PhDs.