President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered that no new universities be established.
Uhuru said this will help to strengthen existing institutions and provide more technical and vocational training.
The President, according to PSCU, issued the directive after awarding charters to eight new universities at a ceremony held at State House, Nairobi.
A ninth university, Garissa University, was initially planned to be among the institutions getting their charter Friday, but President Kenyatta said he would personally travel to Garissa to deliver the certification.
The President said his decision on Garissa University is to send a loud message that Kenya will never succumb to the threats of terrorism.
The eight new universities awarded charters are KAG East University in Kajiado County, Rongo University in Migori County, the Cooperative University of Kenya in Nairobi County and Taita Taveta University in Taita-Taveta County.
The others are Murang’a University of Technology in Murang’a County, University of Embu in Embu County, Machakos University in Machakos County and Kirinyaga University in Kirinyaga County.
The President also witnessed the installation of chancellors of the new universities as part of the elaborate ceremony to award charters.
The chancellors are Fred Ojiambo (Kirinyaga University), Joseph Nyaga (Cooperative University), Mohamed Y Elmi (Rongo University), Sally Kosgei (Taita-Taveta University), James Mworia (Machakos University), Musili Wambua (Embu University), Philista Onyango and Peter Njiiri (KAG East University).
The Head of State said the freeze on setting up new universities will give the government the opportunity to give emphasis to improving the quality of existing universities as opposed to their quantity.
“Our focus now must be strengthening the institutions that we have, building their resilience and ensuring sustained quality,” said President Kenyatta.
“These institutions have to be globally competitive in their operations and service delivery. Quantity at the expense of quality has a potential to harm our country,” added the President.
The President said the government will also focus on developing the necessary job skills needed for Kenya to meet the objectives of Vision 2030.
“We are determined to deliver on vocational training, through our Technical and Vocational Training Institutions (TVETS) and other programmes to deliver on skills required to grow our country in terms of Vision 2030,” he said.
President Kenyatta called on the new universities to create links with the private sector in order for them to succeed in making students globally competitive.
He said this will allow the private sector to tap into the knowledge and innovation available at institutions of higher learning.
These linkages will also enable the universities to access and benefit from the expertise of the private sector.
President Kenyatta also challenged the new universities to step up to the challenge of meeting the expectations Kenyans have of institutions of higher learning.
“Our standards of research, of teaching, and of management must be exceptional.
"If you let your standards fall, then you have failed your students and your country,” said the President as he urged the new universities to do better than the older universities.
He also cautioned those in charge of the new universities to guard against tribalism and to uphold national values.
“Our universities have a special role to play in nation-building: they challenge our parochial concerns, they expose us to Kenyans of different origins and experiences, and they teach us the value of our nationhood. But they cannot do that if they are held back by nepotism and tribalism,” said the President.
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the government has shown commitment to supporting the education sector.
He said Kenya has the distinction of making one of the biggest investments in education in sub-Saharan Africa.
The minister said he is committed to ensuring that the massive public resources allocated to the education sector are not wasted.
Commission for University Education chairman Chacha Nyaigoti Chacha and commission secretary David Kimutai Some also spoke at the ceremony.