Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has said the Kenyan government will no longer fund public universities and colleges.
The Education CS while speaking on Saturday, November 5 at the Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology in Nyeri County, stated that the current financial crisis affecting the institutions called for alternative sources of income for the institutions to ease pressure on the government.
Therefore, CS Machogu urged the public institutions of higher learning to embrace research, innovation, and technology to generate income since the government is on the verge of withdrawing its financial support.
“In Kenya, education takes about 25.9 per cent and we have to find other ways of creating and generating revenues for universities and they have to look at other revenues,” he said.
“I’m going to move around each and every university in Kenya because a number is faced with financial problems, and we are encouraging that they must generate their own income because the exchequer as it is now not going to continue funding more.” CS Machogu added.
Moreover, this announcement comes amid major universities across the country dealing with strikes over lack of funds.
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Likewise, Universities Fund Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Geoffrey Monari recently stated that the number of students qualifying for universities is increasing every year and that it’s becoming unsustainable for the government to add financial allocation to support the institutions.
Furthermore, Mr. Monari explained that the situation has been made worse by the 100 per cent transition for students attaining a C+ and above which has increased access to universities.
Additionally, about 11 universities were caught in a Ksh 9.7 billion tax evasion racket which threatened their closure.
Nonetheless, Egerton and Moi Universities are some of the top institutions which are struggling with a management crisis after lecturers strike over pay cuts.
