Abstract:
In the last few years, Kenyan public universities have mounted parallel degree programmes for
students who are qualified and are financially able to pay for their university education. Moi University
introduced such a programme in 1998. As a result of these developments, there has arisen concern
amongst the stakeholders on the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of higher education offered. The
paper reports the findings of an investigation carried out in the year 2003 to determine the internal
efficiency of the Privately Sponsored Students Programme at Moi University. The target population for
the study was all the students enrolled in the Privately Sponsored Students Programme at Moi
University in the 2002/2003 academic year. Data for this study was collected by use of a questionnaire
from a random sample of 300 respondents. The significant finding was Privately Sponsored
Programmes operated below optimal efficiency levels. Different degree programmes demonstrated
different levels of efficiency in the way they translated their inputs (students) into outputs (graduands).
Also, it was established that many critical performance inputs were lacking or in short supply, such as
library books and journals, computers, furniture in lecture rooms and chemicals in laboratories. To
reduce these inefficiencies, there is need to enhance provision of critical inputs like books and
journals, computers and science equipment as well as various consumables items.