STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION AND THE COMPETITIVENESS OF CHARTERED PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Purpose of the Study: The study determined the influence of stakeholder collaboration on the competitiveness of Chartered Private Universities in Kenya. Statement of the Problem: Chartered Private Universities in Kenya face persistent competitiveness challenges, including enrolment deficits, high staff attrition, limited research output, insufficient programme diversity, and financial instability. These challenges are rooted in weak stakeholder collaboration ecosystems, which manifest as limited industry partnerships, underdeveloped alumni engagement, and insufficiently formalised collaborative governance structures. Collectively, these weaknesses restrict institutional resources, reputation, and strategic opportunities. Research Methodology: The study adopted a positivist philosophy and an explanatory research design, and a census of all 32 Chartered Private Universities in Kenya was undertaken. Structured questionnaires were administered to 224 management board members selected through stratified and judgement sampling, and 176 usable responses were obtained, representing a response rate of 78.6 percent. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple regression analysis in SPSS. Findings: The study found that stakeholder collaboration had a positive and statistically significant effect on institutional competitiveness (B = 0.622, β = 0.641, p < .05). Stakeholder collaboration explained 41.1 percent of the variance in institutional competitiveness (R² = .411). Consequently, the null hypothesis was rejected. Thus, stakeholder collaboration has a statistically significant effect on the competitiveness of Chartered Private Universities in Kenya. Conclusion: The study concludes that stakeholder collaboration is the most influential individual driver of competitiveness among Chartered Private Universities in Kenya. Effective stakeholder collaboration requires the deliberate formalisation of engagement mechanisms and sustained investment in partnership development. Recommendations: The study recommends that management boards should formalise industry partnerships, deepen alumni engagement, and institutionalise collaborative governance structures to strengthen competitive positioning. The Commission for University Education should incorporate stakeholder collaboration performance indicators into quality assurance frameworks. The Commission should also provide institutions with sufficient autonomy to innovate in stakeholder engagement approaches alongside quality compliance. Keywords: Stakeholder collaboration, competitiveness, chartered private universities, industry partnerships, collaborative governance, Kenya