Government defends new university funding model

Higher Education and Research PS Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The Ministry of Education has refuted claims that the government has increased university fees for various programs.

Speaking in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County, Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala claimed the government is providing 95 percent of support for families with the most need.

“There has been this debate about whether we have increased the cost of programs and I want to ensure our parents and students that we have not increased the cost of programs.’’

PS Inyangala said that parents got letters showing the full cost of all programs and that each household will contribute a small proportion of the full cost of programs which stands at 5 percent.

 “For the families that require the most help, the government provides 95 percent support and that means that the families contribute only five percent of the full cost of the program,’’ said Inyangala.

According to Inyangala, in the second band where families also need the most support, the government will provide 90 percent support while those categorized in the third slot will receive 80 percent support.

He noted that over 90,000 students out of the targeted 122,000 who are set to join the University in September have already applied for government funding.

This is even as the ministry extended the application deadline for 2023 KCSE students joining the university in the 2024-25 academic year by 10 days to August 15, 2024.

The Chairman of the Vice-Chancellors Forum from Public Universities in Kenya who also doubles as Vice-Chancellor for Embu University Professor Daniel Mugendi said they are no longer charging Sh16,000 as tuition fees.

"We see this new university funding model as a good model for universities,’’ said Mugendi.

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology MMUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Soloman Shibairo said; "With this new funding model most of the universities can pay their workers promptly and many universities are out of debt and we know in the next three years our universities will be stable and run their operations smoothly,’’ said Shibairo