Contentious university funding plan to be modified in fresh rollout

From left: Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Education CS Julius Ogamba and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma (right) during County Education Day at Home Bay High School on March 27, 2025. [James Omoro, Standard]

The controversial university funding model will be implemented with modifications.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has said the government would comply with the Court of Appeal order to publish the framework of the modified model in 14 days.

The announcement came as it emerged that candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE examination could start choosing their preferred courses and universities from Friday.

The CS is expected to make the announcement to kick-start the selection and placement exercise, which had been delayed due an ongoing court case on the new funding model.

But on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal gave the government the green light to continue implementing the model.

On Thursday, Ogamba said the framework would be modified in line with the recommendations made by the National Committee on the Review of the Model.

“The Court of Appeal stayed the decision of the High court on implementation of the new funding model. This means that the government is going to implement the funding model. However, we are going to modify it in line with the recommendations,” said the CS during the Homa Bay County Education Day.

He asked Kenyans to support the new model. “The transformative student funding model was meant to end the financial crisis which affected disadvantaged students in universities,” he said.

He said the government had spent Sh41 billion to support the education of 240,000 students in universities.

On Competency-Based Curriculum, Ogamba said the government had put the necessary arrangements for transition from junior to senior secondary schools.

“The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the NG-CDF is doing all it takes to put proper infrastructure in place for success in senior secondary schools. I assure Kenyans of seamless transition,” he said.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development confirmed it had prepared the curriculum design for senior secondary.

KICD boss Charles Ong’ondo said evaluation of textbooks for would start next month while distribution begins in June.

“Any school head who has not received books one month after commencement of the distribution should reach out to KICD,” he said.

On placement, the Wednesday court ruling paves the way for an exercise that had left universities, agencies, students and parents. The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service is now expected to open its portal for about 246,000 students to apply for admission.

The Higher Education Loans Board has confirmed it would start processing applications for 109,000 students and open appeals for students next week as per the court order.

Public universities have been in a financial crisis, with all 39 institutions going without government funding since October.