Relief as Cabinet waives ID requirement for students applying for university scholarship and loans

This is after the Cabinet on Tuesday, following a meeting presided over by President William Ruto at the Kakamega State Lodge, waived the national ID requirement as a prerequisite to qualify for State financing in line with the new higher education financing model. 

The students, who have yet to receive their IDs, had lamented that the fund's application process requires them to input their ID numbers on the portal when registering.

The Cabinet similarly directed the Ministry of Education and relevant stakeholders to fast-track access to scholarships for all eligible students in line with the State's new funding model.

In a bid to enhance access to higher education, the Cabinet further approved the upgrading of thirteen Technical and Vocational Colleges to National Polytechnic status.

"The action by Cabinet is pursuant to the principles set out in Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2005: A Framework for Education, Training and Research; which establishes a pathway for upward mobility of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates," a despatch from the Cabinet seen by Citizen Digital reads in part.

"The framework also requires the establishment of at least one National Polytechnic in each County, and a TVET institution in each constituency."

The Cabinet similarly approved four Bills in a bid to accelerate Kenya’s attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The Bills are; the Primary Health Care Bill, 2023, the Digital Health Bill, 2023, the Facility Improvement Financing Bill, 2023 and the Social Health Insurance Bill, 2023.

"These Bills usher in a paradigm in the legal and institutional framework for healthcare in Kenya by repealing the current National Health Insurance Fund and establishing in its place the following funds: Primary Healthcare Fund; Social Health Insurance Fund; and Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund," said the Cabinet.

Cabinet approved the framework for enhanced production and distribution of certified seeds and the partnership between the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and County Governments for “Last Mile” distribution of subsidized Government fertilizer that is retailing at Ksh.2,500.

"To ensure that no farmer is left behind, Cabinet additionally ratified the ongoing registration of farmers, and called on all farmers who had not been enumerated under the first wave to register at their earliest opportunity so as to benefit from the seminal State programme," said the Cabinet.

In matters of food security, Cabinet also sanctioned the expedited implementation of the Warehouse Receipting System.

"Additionally, and in keeping with the imperative to realize Food Security; Cabinet authorized the operationalization of the newly promulgated Strategic Food Reserve Regulations, 2023. Under the framework, the Government will purchase at least 1 Million bags of maize to be maintained as part of our nation’s Strategic Food Reserve," Cabinet said.

"The off-take price for the year 2023 crop will be announced in due course by the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development, in consultation with all stakeholders as outlined in the Regulations."