“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence” – Hellen Keller . The cancellation of the Letter of Interim Authority for Presbyterian University of Eastern Africa (PUEA), Commission for University Education (CUE) warnings to Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and Kenya Methodist University (KEMU), the closure of close to 14 university campuses in 2017, the reduced number of 2017 KCSE candidates eligible for direct university admissions appears to suggest that there is reason for the university leadership to be alarmed.