Over the years, several institutions of higher learning in Kenya have closed shop for various reasons, dorminantly, financial constraints and others shut down by the government over standards/quality of education offered.
Some of these institutions offered various courses to thousands of students before finally closing down. In this article, WoK takes a look at some of the institutions of higher learning in Kenya that closed doors.
Inoorero University
The International University of Professional Studies (IUPS), formerly known as Inoorero University(IU), was a mid-level university located in Nairobi’s upmarket Parklands area.
The university went under after years of financial turmoil and was auctioned to recover debts owed to local banks. The university’s main campus building which sat on 0.9 hectare parcel of land was successfully sold to Mount Kenya University at a reported price of Ksh300 million.
In 2015, the Commission For University Education (CUE) stopped the university from admitting new students on grounds that it lacked adequate infrastructure to offer degrees. The universities regulator allowed the institution two more years of operation to allow continuing students complete their studies.
Low student enrolment and poor marketing in the university’s first three years of operation after it attained a university charter have been attributed as reasons for its fall.
A section of Kenyans claimed that the name “Inoorero”, Kikuyu for sharpener, was a contributing factor to the low student enrollement. The school’s owner, Francis Thumbi Nyamu, changed the name on realising that it was a put-off for students.
Genco University
Genco University was licensed in 2010, and registered as the country’s first online university. It was established to allow for students from across the country access tertiary education at relatively lower cost.
The university had its physical address at Parkside Towers on Mombasa Road.
It was shut down by CUE in 2016 after it failed to begin operations four years after it was established.
“It never took off because they did not have the necessary broadcasting licences. Four years since it was established it has never taken off and now we have to wind it up,” then CUE CEO Professor David Some said.
Alphax College
Alphax College was established in 1996 as a response to an expressed need for specialized tertiary education in Kenya. Its foundation was aimed at promoting effective, relevant, efficient and profitable education to individuals and organizations from both private and public sectors.
The college admitted both local and international students and offered various course to students at a rate of Ksh443,820 per year.
It was located within Action Estate along Iten Road in Eldoret, uasin Gishu County.
According to the company website, the institution has not been in operation since late 2019.
Other Colleges
In January 2020, several colleges were shut down by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) during a crackdown on unaccredited institutions operating in the country.
The operation that began on January 28, 2020, targetted over 40 colleges across Nairobi County.
“This crackdown is aimed at streamlining training in the mid-level colleges to ensure that students get value for their time and money.
“We shall have disadvantaged these Kenyans if we allow such colleges to operate,” TVETA Director-General Lang’at Kipkirui stated at the time.
Some of the colleges shut down by TVETA included;
- Intraglobal Training Institute (Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi) – The institution also had campuses in campuses in Embu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kisii and Gilgil, which were also shut down.
- Vision Stars Training Institute (Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi)
- Kenafric College of Professional Studies (Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi) – The college had been in operation since 2015 but was yet to obtain a TVETA license according to its Principal, Schola Muthoni.
- Equimax Modern Training College
- Clique College of Hairdressing
- Metab Institute
- Bright Touch College
- Alison Community College in Eastleigh – it was closed by TVETA and 38 students together with five members arrested for being in the Country illegally. The unlicensed college was also closed over suspicion it may have been involved in terrorism-related activities.
