Top news items in Kenya's major media outlets

NAIROBI, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The following are the news highlights in Kenyan media outlets on Friday.

-- The spectre of empty lecture halls in public universities following lecturers' strike has made the threat of job cuts suddenly very real. The revelation that 544 out of 1,382 academic programs admitted either none or not more than nine students means it is only a matter of when, not if, the 31 public universities and seven constituent colleges send employees packing. Given the unprecedented situation, students enrolled this year may be allowed to complete their studies but there will be no new admissions. (The Standard)

-- Maize farmers in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya are staring at losses after the government allowed millers to import cheaper grains from neighboring countries. Prices for a 90 kg bag have this week dropped to 15 U.S. dollars from 32 dollars. (Daily Nation)

-- The High Court on Thursday stopped plans by the government to snoop on private conversations by installing a system to access data from phones. (The Star).

-- The planned construction of 30,000 new homes in Nairobi could significantly cut rents in the city's middle and low income estates as well as cause a massive price correction in middle level housing market, realtors said. (Business Daily) Enditem