‘You're biting more than you can swallow’: Ruto gov’t told amid education, healthcare crises

Kitui Central Member of Parliament Makali Mulu has criticised President William Ruto’s administration over what he calls taking on unsustainable initiatives.

Mulu on Tuesday said after Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza government took office in September 2022, it made sweeping changes to key functions such as the higher education funding model and public healthcare scheme.

“They thought everything that had been happening for the last 60 years was wrong,” the MP told Citizen TV’s Daybreak program.

He blamed the challenges Kenyans are experiencing with university funding and the Social Health Authority (SHA), which was changed from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), on the government “biting more than they can swallow.”

“They changed the education system, the funding model and changed NHIF to SHA. They have been biting more than they can swallow and it will hang somewhere,” Mulu said.

The new university funding model has been the subject of controversy among students, parents, and education stakeholders.

It delinks student placement with funding, thus requiring students to submit applications to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and Universities Fund (UF) for loans and scholarships, respectively. 

Funding of students now combines scholarships, loans and household contributions on a graduated scale 'scientifically determined' by a so-called means-testing instrument.

However, the model has been marred with concerns of students being placed in incorrect bands and criticism of the effectiveness of the 'means testing instrument'.

Additionally, it demands that only those placed in public universities by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) are eligible for scholarships and loans, while those in private entities only qualify for HELB loans.

Critics say this is likely to lock many out from acquiring higher education. Ruto has gazetted a committee to review the funding model

Meanwhile, SHA has been heavily criticised since the transition began in early October for its meagre benefits and cries from Kenyans unable to get treatment despite paying premiums.