President William Ruto has announced plans to improve Kenya’s student-centered university funding model.
Speaking during the Huawei ICT Awards at State House in Nairobi on July 28, the Head of State said the government will engage vice-chancellors to develop a system that guarantees adequate financial support for every student pursuing higher education.
Ruto stated that the reforms are aimed at addressing long-standing financial challenges in public universities and for students who face financial challenges.
He said that the current model has recorded progress but indicated that further adjustments will be made to ensure it meets the needs of both students and universities.
According to him, university leaders will be consulted as the government works on what he described as a better funding model that would expand financial support for learners.
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“We’ve made very good progress with our new student-centered funding model. And I want to tell our vice chancellors we will be engaging them as we now progress to even a better funding model that will make sure that every student has full funding for their education. That is the commitment I have made,” he said.
The announcement comes after the head of state said that all students admitted to universities and colleges will now receive 100 percent government funding regardless of their financial background.
Universities have previously raised concerns over delayed government allocations, rising operational costs, and increasing student numbers, which have placed pressure on their finances.
Ruto Says Universities Faced Severe Financial Challenges
In his speech, Ruto said his administration inherited challenges from the previous government when he took office in 2022.
He noted that many universities had accumulated debts, faced difficulties paying lecturers, and were unable to settle bills owed to suppliers, creating instability in the management of institutions.
The President said the financial challenges forced the government to rethink how universities were funded and introduce a new approach focused on supporting students based on their individual circumstances.
“I have sat down with these vice chancellors and leadership of our universities. When I came into office, we had a real challenge. Many of our universities faced very dire situations. Many of our universities could not pay even lecturers. They could not pay their suppliers. They had difficulties. And that is why we had to rework the funding model for our universities,” Ruto said.
The student-centered funding model was introduced as a replacement for the previous system, which provided government funding to universities based largely on enrolment numbers.
Under the new approach, students are assessed according to their financial needs, with support provided through a combination of government scholarships, loans, and household contributions.
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Ruto Defends Education Investment to Economic Growth
The President also defended the government’s spending on education, arguing that it is necessary for Kenya’s long-term economic transformation.
He dismissed concerns over the cost of fully financing universities, saying the consequences of failing to invest in education would be greater.
“ I know many people are asking me, where are you going to find the money to fund these universities? and I want to tell them what was said before. If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. And you will know which one is more expensive. So my commitment is that it is the single most important thing that we must do,” Ruto said.
He said countries that have achieved significant economic growth have done so by prioritizing education, research, and human capital development.
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