President Ruto directs universities to allow students to sit for exams

By Robert Mutasi

President William Ruto has directed all universities in Kenya to let the students sit for exams despite outstanding tuition fees.

On Friday, December 6, 2024, while attending the graduation ceremony at Scott Christian University, he made the announcement.

During the address, Ruto pointed out financial challenges confronting the universities resulting from a transition still taking place toward student-centered higher education funding.

He stressed the need for universities to bear with students as the government completes the new disbursement mechanism.

"As we walk into the changes occasioned by transition to student-centered higher education funding, I call upon universities to be patient and considerate of the students' plight," Ruto said, as he called on institutions to give way for academic progress rather than create financial barriers.

The President urged the universities to let students take their end-of-term examinations as the system awaits the complete resumption of government funding, while insisting that the new funding model was still in its implementation phase, but crafted to deal with the grey areas of the old system.

"The old funding model almost brought many of our universities to closure," Ruto said. "It is not right that we continue a model that created a huge debt. I am deliberate, intentional, and focused on ensuring that we have a funding model that doesn't burden our universities with excessive debt," he added.

Under the old funding model, universities in Kenya had a huge burden, running an accumulated debt of Ksh 120 billion.

The President, while calling for the urgency of reform, noted that the old model has made higher education institutions in the country stand in the way of financial instability and thus was not sustainable.

Ruto's comments reflect efforts by the government to remodel Kenya's higher education financing system.

Transitioning to a student-centered funding model should make the finances more equitably distributed and hence sustainable for universities, with a focus on both institutional and student needs.

The directive is expected to offer temporary relief to students unable to pay their tuition fees, allowing them to continue their studies and take their exams uninterrupted.