Education Taskforce Recommends Increase In University Fees From Ksh.16K To Ksh.52K If the recommendations made by the Presidential working p...

Education Taskforce Recommends Increase In University Fees From Ksh.16K To Ksh.52K

If the recommendations made by the Presidential working party on education reforms are implemented, students in public universities across Kenya may face increased fees to access higher education. The taskforce recently presented its report to President William Ruto, proposing a range of measures aimed at enhancing the quality of education in the country, including easing the financial burden on universities by forgiving their debts owed to statutory bodies.

The second interim report primarily focuses on higher education and the essential reforms required to make it better and more affordable. The report delves into the financing of this sector, proposing a threefold increase in the fees paid by government-sponsored students in Kenyan universities, from Ksh.16,000 to Ksh.52,000 per semester.

While advocating for the fee increment, the taskforce is also urging the government to increase its funding of university education, which is currently inadequate to meet the needs of the institutions. Public universities face a cumulative funding deficit of about Ksh.164 billion from 2018/2019 to the 2022/2023 academic year, while private universities have a deficit of Ksh.56.96 billion over the same period.

Furthermore, the report suggests that the government should write off significant debts owed by universities to statutory bodies, currently totaling Ksh.56.13 billion, including deductions for PAYE, pension, NHIF, NSSF, and others.

In addition to funding issues, the report proposes ways to enhance governance in universities, including filling chancellor vacancies in 28 universities. The group recommends that while the president should remain the appointing authority for chancellors, the input of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the university’s Senate should be sought.

The report also urges the government to increase the enrollment of students in teachers training colleges, which currently stands at only 14.7% or 3,922 students in 34 institutions with a capacity of 26,650 students. The task force further recommends expanding Technical and Vocational Training opportunities by establishing such institutes across the country, with a National Polytechnic in every county, Technical Vocational College in every constituency, and a Vocational Training Center in each ward.

Neither the president nor the Ministry of Education has publicly responded to the contents of the report.