Governance and Leadership in Higher Education: Contemporary Issues and Challenges

Abstract

Higher education in Kenya has witnessed a plethora of challenges ranging from unplanned growth, unrest, and reports of corruption, often leading to doubts about the ability of these institutions to deliver on their mandates. This paper sought to establish whether the existing set up of higher education and its leadership at the university are adequately structured and prepared to withstand the demands of a dynamic social, political and economic environment. We analysed literature on higher education and identified themes of critical issues. The findings indicate that while adequate provisions outline a clear management structure, international, national and local dynamics impinge on the policy process to render the leadership more or less unable to control some critical policies that impact higher education. This is particularly on matters of funding. Power struggles and national politics cascade to the university level, impacting negatively on leadership. Both institutional and academic autonomy is compromised while negative ethnicity, poor management of resources and corruption as well as an emphasis on academic qualification vis a vis technical competence in critical leadership positions such as those on resource management continue to adversely affect the delivery of services.