Trends in Institutional Funding of Library Activities

Public universities continue to rely heavily on the exchequer for funding, currently based on Kshs. 120,000 per student per academic year for their operations. The government contribution has however been diminishing and this has led to serious financial problems in public universities. In relative terms, the proportionate share of Ministry of Education budget devoted to the public universities declined steadily over the years from 20% in 1991 to 12% in 2000/01 and the painful consequences of this decline continue to be felt by public university libraries. With the decline in the budgetary provision from the exchequer, the poor performance of the Kenya shilling against international currencies and the corresponding increase in debt, public universities have reached a crisis level that has threatened the ability of public university libraries to accomplish their role in the university. Indicators of this includes the inability of public university libraries to attract and retain IT staff due to low remuneration, dismal services poor resulting from lack of funds for capital development and maintenance, and insignificant acquisition levels of information materials. This is part of the widespread trend in the public university setting whereby:

Large number of physical facilities that were started way back in 1987/88 remained incomplete today while those in use have worsened due to lack of preventive maintenance. Similarly, equipment in critical areas have become unserviceable with great loss to the quality of teaching. Vital aspects of academic support system are wanting with such areas as transport, document processing, library acquisition, research, information technology, etc have suffered considerably over the last 10 years”.²¹⁴

214Public Universities Reform Programme: Guidelines for Staff Retrenchment in Public Universities / Commission of Higher Education. – Nairobi: CHE, 1988. - p.20

Table 4a: Expenditure From Institutional Funds for Library Purposes in Million Kenya Shillings (University of Nairobi)

1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01

Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount %

The data on the expenditure from institutional funds on library is presented in Tables 4a-d. According to Table 4a the allocation of institutional funds in UON declined from Kshs 92 million in 1996/7 academic year to only Kshs. 31 million in 2000/01 academic year.

This represents a 66% drop and corresponding to this, library expenditure on monographs has declined steadily from Kshs. 64 million in 1996/7 to only Kshs. 0.6 million in 2000/01. Accordingly, in 1996/7 academic year 69.5% of expenditure went to the purchase of monographs while only 3% and 2.1% was spend for the same purpose in 1999/2000 and 2000/01 academic years respectively. Expenditure on salaries and wages grew from Kshs. 28 million in 1996/7 to Kshs. 40 million in 1998/9, then dropped to 27 million in 1999/2000 before slightly increasing to Kshs. 28 million in 2000/01 academic year. This decrease can be attributed to the massive retrenchment undertaken in all public institutions including public universities. It can also be observed that with low allocation for library purposes, salaries and wages accounted for 97% and 90.2% of library expenditure in 1999/00 and 2000/01 academic years. Notably no expenditure has been made between 1996/7 and 2000/01 academic year for purposes such as journal purchase, maintenance and computerisation.

Table 4b: Expenditure from Institutional Funds for Library Purposes in Million Kenya Shillings (Kenyatta University)

1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount %

Monographs 1.3 4.6 3.7 8.8 0.6 1.4 0.1 0.4 0.6 2.1

Journals 1.4 5.1 11.3 26.9 16.7 38.6 0.2 0.8 0.3 1.1

Equipment and furniture

- - - - - - - 0.3

Staff (salary and wages)

25 90.3 27 64.3 26 60 25 98.8 28 96.5

Maintenance - - - - - - - - - -

Computerisation 0 - - - - - - - - -

Total in Kshs 26.7 42 43.3 25.3 29

Total in € (million)

0.35 0.55 0.57 0.33 0.38

Source: Kenyatta University Library

Like UON, highest expenditure of institutional funds at KU is on salaries and wages accounting for 90.3% (1996/7), 64.3% (1997/8), 60% (1998/9), 98.8% (1999/00), and 96.5% (2000/01). Expenditure on monographs has accounted for only between 0.4%

(1999/00) and 8.8% (1997/8). Expenditure on journals has also been erratic, being highest in 1997/8 (Kshs. 11.3 million) and 1998/9 (Kshs. 16.7 million) before sinking to less than Kshs.1 million in 1999/00 and 2000/01. Like UON, during this period there was no expenditure on equipment, furniture, maintenance and computerisation apart from 2000/01 academic year when a meagre Kshs. 0.1 million was spent on furniture and maintenance. Total expenditure on library purposes increased from Kshs. 26.7 million (1996/7) by 38.3% in 1998/9 before declining by 33% in 2000/01.

Table 4c: Expenditure from Institutional Funds for Library Purposes in Million Kenya Shillings (USIU)

1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount %

Monographs 15 46.7 21 45.8 16 45.5 18 48 16 40.7

Journals 1.9 5.9 3 6.5 4.5 12.8 6.1 16.2 6.9 17.6

Equipment and furniture

- - 7 15.3 4 11.4 1.8 4.8 2 5.1

Staff (salary and wages)

0.7 21.8 7 15.3 8 22.8 8 21.4 9 22.9

Maintenance 0.2 0.6 0.5 1.1 1.2 3.3 2.4 6.4 2.4 6.1

Computerisation 8 25 7.4 16 1.5 4.2 1.4 3.6 3 7.6

Total in Kshs 32.1 - 45.9 - 35.2 - 37.7 - 39.3

Total in € (million)

0.42 - 0.59 - 0.46 - 0.48 - 0.52

Source: USIU Library

Expenditure of institutional funds on library purposes at USIU rose by 18.4% from Kshs 32.1m in 1996/7 to Kshs. 39.3m in 2000/01. The purchase of monographs accounted for between 40% and 48% of the annual expenditure throughout the five-year period under study. Journals accounted for between 5.9% (1996/7) and 17.6% (2000/1) while funds spend on equipment and furniture accounted for between 4.8% (1999/00) and 15.3%

(1996/7) academic year. Maintenance accounted for 6.4% (1999/00) and 6.1% (2000/01).

Table 4d: Expenditure from Institutional Funds for Library Purposes in Million Kenya Shillings (CUEA)

1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01

Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount % Amount %

Allocation of institutional funds in the case of CUEA for library purposes has risen consistently from Kshs. 5.4 million to Kshs. 18.1 million representing a 69.5% increase.

The statistical information collected and presented in Tables 4a-d support the observation by library managers that allocation of institutional funds in public universities for library purposes is declining. For example in UON it was reported that government allocation is so little that no meaningful budgeting can be done. Before 1980’s substantive expenditure on library was done and specific amounts were set up aside for the purchase of monographs and journals as well as capital development. In the 1990’s a World Bank loan was used to purchase books for all public university libraries, however this programme ended in 1999. Today the government releases funds on monthly basis to cover personnel emolument for the entire university system. The reminder is used for the purchase of information materials. This accounts for the low percentage of institutional funds being used for the purchase of reading materials in UON, which has declined to only 2.1% in the 2000/01 academic year. Both KU and UON libraries are unable to renew subscriptions hence no supply of new journals while many existing titles have been

discontinued. Substantial debts with suppliers have led to suspension of further supplies until outstanding debts have been settled. Failure by administration to release funds as per the university budget has made it impossible for libraries to plan library activities. Over the five-year period under review, UON library has depended entirely on donor support for its computerisation efforts with IT equipment being donated by University of Antwerp (Belgium), Netherlands and British embassies. Lack of expenditure on furniture and infrastructure maintenance has resulted in broken down furniture leading to shortage of seats and lack of binding services hence the accumulation of books in need of repair.

Private university libraries enjoy a relatively better institutional support. As indicated in Tables 4c-d, in these institutions there is fairer distribution of institutional funds for library purposes with the purchase of reading materials accounting for more than 40%

annually and funds being allocated for more library purposes including equipment and furniture, maintenance as well as computerisation. For example between 1996/7 and 1997/8 academic years, USIU implemented a computerisation programme costing Kshs.

17 million. (US$ 300,000). Therefore it could be concluded that the relatively small but rapidly expanding private universities are consistent in institutional expenditure on libraries so as to meet the requirements of the Commission of Higher Education and attract more students.