Machakos University Hosts High-Level Forum on Human Resource Reforms in Public Universities

The Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) of the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), in collaboration with the Public Service Commission (PSC), has convened a high-level consultative meeting to deliberate on the draft Generic Human Resource Management Instruments for Public Universities and Constituent University Colleges from Thursday 29th January to Friday 30th January 2026.

The two-day forum is being hosted at the Machakos University Hotel and Conference Centre under the leadership of the Machakos University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joyce Agalo. It has brought together key stakeholders in Kenya’s higher education sector, including the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Higher Education, Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, several Commissioners, and Vice-Chancellors from public universities across the country.

This consultative forum is part of the State Department of Higher Education and Research’s broader reform agenda to strengthen governance, enhance staff mobility, and improve operational efficiency across public universities. The discussions focus on aligning human resource practices with national public service standards while addressing the unique needs of higher education institutions.

Speaking during the meeting on Thursday 29th January 2026, Dr. Inyangala emphasized that the proposed Generic Human Resource Instruments are the result of extensive stakeholder engagement. Their development involved public universities, the Public Service Commission of Kenya, university councils, human resource professionals, and trade unions, ensuring that diverse perspectives were incorporated into the reform process.

The proposed reforms seek to harmonize organizational structures across public universities, rationalize grading systems, align the academic retirement age with existing Collective Bargaining Agreements, and recognize institutional diversity while firmly safeguarding universities’ autonomy. These measures are intended to promote fairness, consistency, and transparency in the management of human resources across the sector.

Ultimately, the reforms aim to build a functional, equitable, and future-ready higher education system. By streamlining human resource frameworks, the initiative seeks to free academic staff to focus more fully on their core mandates of teaching, research, and innovation—thereby strengthening the contribution of public universities to national development.