President William Ruto earlier today met with vice-chancellors from various universities at the State House.
The purpose of the meeting was to assess the recently implemented university funding approach that was introduced last year.
During the meeting, President Ruto confirmed that the financing model is working and in three years, they will sort out the financial challenges facing universities.
The main agenda of the meeting was to evaluate the new university funding model.
“For the first time, students whose families are at the bottom of the pyramid shall enjoy the opportunity to university and TVET education,” Ruto explained. “Their households shall not make any contribution towards the education of their children,”
The new model ensured there was 100 percent absorption of first-year students who joined university and TVETs in the current financial year.
“The government plans to increase funding for the specific costs of educating students who are already enrolled,” Ruto told the vice-chancellors.
The president continued by saying the funding under the differentiated unit cost will be increased from the current 42 percent to 50 percent.
The vice-chancellors briefed the president on the ongoing initiative to streamline university programs.
They explained that universities and the State Department of Higher Education are collaborating to identify under-subscribed programs for consolidation, ensuring each institution focuses on courses they excel in, promoting specialization.
Moreover, it was agreed to phase out unpopular programs and incentive enrollment in areas like science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM).
The vice-chancellors assured the president of a progress report within three months on the discussed matters.
The meeting comes after a raft of changes in the country’s university education funding system, among other key changes.
Present at the meeting were Education CS Ezekiel Machogu and Higher Education PS Beatrice Inyangala, among other stakeholders.
