PS Beatrice Inyangala Warns Against Manipulation of New University Funding Model

By Robert Mutasi 

Principal Secretary of the State Department for Higher Education and Research, Dr. Beatrice Inyangala has raised concerns about the integrity of the New University Funding System, alleging that some government officials have been doctoring information to manipulate the system. 

Speaking during an awareness event on the new funding structure, in Embu, Thursday, August 29, 2024, Dr. Inyangala revealed that chiefs have reported that 90 percent of students come from poor families, a figure she suspects may increase.

Dr. Inyangala warned that the department has received information of tampering while rumors are spreading that funds have changed hands to facilitate the presentation of false statistics. 

She urged government officials involved in the process to maintain high standards of integrity and ensure that the new funding system benefits those who truly need it.

"The new funding model is an important policy change for us," Dr. Inyangala said.

"We created it to meet the needs of citizens in difficult circumstances. In the old funding model, each parent and student was required to pay a standard rate, which was an average of 50,000 shillings. Now, under the new model, the government covers 95% of the cost for a given degree, leaving parents to pay just 5%." She added. 

Dr. Inyangala spoke about the concerns of student leaders who opposed the new funding model, and asked them to be patient while the government works to clean it up and improve it.

She assured the students that the new model is designed with the interests of students from poor backgrounds, and that it represents a more equitable approach to funding higher education.

Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji also spoke at the event, condemning the actions of those who use the system for personal gain. 

He emphasized the importance of integrity and called for close cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior to prevent further misuse of the funding model.

"It is wrong for people who can afford to falsify documents at the expense of vulnerable students from poor communities," MP Mukunji said. 

He asked all stakeholders to manage transparency and justice in the implementation of the funding model.

In that event Dr. Inyangala who was the Guest of Honor launched the Special School Bursary Checks and benefited 140 Special School students with a fund of one million shillings. 

More than 400 students attended the awareness session, which was organized by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and other officials from the Ministry of Education.

As the government continues to roll out the New University Funding Model, calls for integrity and transparency remain essential to ensure that the policy achieves its goal of supporting Kenya's most vulnerable students.