President Ruto Appoints 12-member committee to review New Higher Education Funding model

Nairobi, 

Monday, 16 September, 2024 

McCreadie Andias 

President William Ruto has appointed a 129-member National Committee to review the new university funding model.

The development follows a wide range of concerns raised by various groups including parents, students and academic think tanks regarding the structure and provisions of the new funding model. 

The head of state recently held a Townhall with university students to adress the new model but questions arised on what necessitated the government to replace the old funding model with the new one which has been controversial from the start. 

Ruto has nowannounced four workstreams that will be divided into sections;

The first team on the Review and Refinement of the New Funding Model for Universities and Technical, Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETs) will be headed by Karuti Kanyinga and Dibora Zainab Hirbo.

While the workstream on appeals arising from the categorization of students into various eligibility bands for allocation of scholarships and loans will be headed by Walubengo Waningilo and Lucy Machugu who will serve as co chairs.

The workstream on Structure of Student Loans will be headed by Robert Oduor Otieno and Aron Kiprotich Bett, while that on the Review of the Cost of University Academic Programmes will be headed by Mohamed S. Rajab and Patrick Malanga.

The committee will report to and be accountable to the President through the Cabinet Secretary for Education.

The High Court has recently collaborated the government's order for Universities and Higher education institutions to allow students with pending fee balances, to aquire admission and attend classes while the government works to process their capitation.

However, Higher education institutions have protested the move, terming lack of trust for the government and raising concerns on difficulties to conduct academic training without capitation.