Gov’t to stop funding students in private universities

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has said the government will stop funding students who qualify for university but opt to join private universities. 

CS Machogu, who appeared before the Public Investment Committee on Governance and Education on Thursday, gave the assurance that the government was shifting its policy to ensure that students are placed in public universities. 

This as Members of Parliament lamented over the Ksh.20 billion that was being used to cater for students meant to be in public universities but studying in private universities. 

“We are speaking the same language, we have said that the government is going to place all students into public universities unless a parent has requested otherwise, that we have said and that is now our policy,” he said. 

The CS said that the new policy will require a student or parent to make the choice and cater for it.

According to the committee Chair Jack Wamboka, in the last financial year, the government coughed up Ksh.20 billion to cater for students in private universities that would be in public universities.

Of this, Ksh.13.7 billion was used as capitations and Ksh.6.7 billion as grants, yet an audit of the public facilities had shown that they can accommodate all the students who attained the university pass mark.

“Those already in private universities, we will ensure they finish their studies, but we commit that in this placement all students will go to public universities,” he said.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) also committed to give priority to public universities in placement of those that have qualified for university education.

The CS further revealed that the criteria for funding university courses will be based on performance and choice of programme, household income bands, affirmative action, and government priority areas.

Meanwhile, a section of MPs raised concerns over the new policy warning that it risked disenfranchising needy cases.

This as it emerged that public universities had over Ksh.60 billion in pending bills coupled with huge stalled projects.