An Assessment of the Legal Framework Safeguarding Academic Staff: A Factor in the Declining Quality of Higher Education in Kenya

Abstract:

A paper that seeks to investigate the legal framework safeguarding academic staff; whether or not, it has an impact on the declining quality of higher education in Kenya. Due to globalization and privatization of higher education, the field has been open to forces, which have seen institutions, become the centers of exploitation. Incidents in which university staff have threatened to strike or put down their tools have become the norm. Such situations have denied youth the right to access education. To remedy the foregoing problems, the parliament of Kenya enacted various legislation as part of reform efforts aimed at enhancing the efficiency, integrity and equity of Kenya's higher education system. Thus, purpose of the paper is to clearly analyze the legal framework and safeguards that relate to academic staff with the view to understand it's impact on Higher Education. Hence, quantitative research using a survey questionnaire to collect data from respondents was conducted. The end results of the study revealed that the current structured legal framework and safeguards for academic staff had a positive impact thus not a push factor in declining quality of higher education in Kenya.