MPs Moves to Consolidate University Funding for Free Education

MPs Moves to Consolidate University Funding for Free Education

Parliamentary discussions on university education reforms intensified yesterday, with a strong push for consolidating bursaries and funds to make tertiary education free.

The move aimed to address the inequities faced by needy students under the newly introduced University Funding Model.

Members of Parliament (MPs) proposed the merging of various education funding mechanisms, including the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) fund, the Universities Fund, and bursaries provided by governors, MPs, MCAs, and women representatives.

This proposal was supported by Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala, who acknowledged flaws in the Means Testing Instrument (MTI) used to determine the financial aid for students.

Policy Recommendations

During a Parliamentary Kamukunji, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula urged the Ministry of Education to develop a policy that would consolidate all funding sources to tackle the ongoing university funding crisis.

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Wetang’ula emphasized that the issue raised by Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi highlighted the need to amalgamate these funds, as all resources stem from the same diminishing public purse. He encouraged the Ministry to take the initiative, assuring that Parliament would be willing to legislate on the matter.

Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi questioned why university funding could not be made free to eliminate the need to assess students’ financial status.

Laikipia University Vice-Chancellor Joseph Rotich informed MPs that consolidating the funds would provide sufficient resources to sustain higher education. He suggested that the amalgamated funds could make university, college, and TVET education free.

The MTI, which considers factors such as gender, family income, and previous schools attended, was criticized by MPs for being inefficient and unsustainable.

Suba South MP Caroli Omondi pointed out that relying on social parameters for financial decisions opened the system to corruption and fraud.

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Similarly, Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo questioned the relevance of using a funding model from 1975 to address contemporary issues and called for free university education to prevent graduates from being burdened with loan repayments.

Concerns About Gender and School Background:

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo criticized the use of previous schools as a criterion for funding, noting that some students from well-known schools were financially supported by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

South Mugirango MP Sylvanous Osoro expressed confusion over how gender could determine financial need, to which PS Inyangala responded that research had shown female-led households to be more financially needy than male-headed ones.

MPs Moves to Consolidate University Funding for Free Education

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