Universities and colleges situated in less urbanised areas have been challenged to partner with societies to address annual accommodation crises in those institutions.
Economist, Scholastica Odhiambo, a lecturer at Maseno University School of Business and Economics has dared administrators to think outside the box in bid to resolve inadequate housing as students populations soar.
Ms Odhiambo wants administrators to partner with private and public societies like National Social Security Fund and National Housing Commission to improve accommodation infrastructure.
In these partnerships, she suggests, the institutions provide land and sign memoranda of understanding with potential investors to develop such land. The hostels would then be handed over to the university who would collect rents paid by the students and share proceeds with the partner.
“Accommodation is a big challenge facing universities in rural areas where private real estate development is quite low. Given income constraints in the short-run, universities can provide temporary solutions while partnering with various stakeholders for lasting resolutions,” she said.
Ms Odhiambo argues that such strategic partnerships have been successful elsewhere across the developing continent. The University of Dar es Salaam successfully adopted it with the country’s housing corporation to improve accommodation.
The economics authority added that the increased number of students into universities has seen middle-level colleges upgraded to tertiary institutions of higher learning and affiliates, piling pressure on the educational centres to have in place basic infrastructure over a relatively short period of time.
She stated that though the new system promises improved skilled human capital in the country, education quality is faced with a compromise as learners are thrust into a poor learning environment.
Kenyatta University which is the second largest by student numbers after University of Nairobi has widely been accredited for efforts toward offering student accommodation.
February last year the varsity launched a Sh1 billion housing project in which it provided 20 acres at its main campus on Thika Road on which the investor would set up a hostel to accommodate 6,000 students while the investor collects rent for 15 to 20 years before handing ownership to the varsity administration.
This was the first public-private partnership venture by a local public university. Kenyatta houses 54 per cent of its student population.
Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service has announced that over 72, 000 students have been selected to join public universities this September. This is part of the over 123, 000 students declared eligible having attained mean grade of C+ plus.