At a town hall engagement at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), hosted by Citizen TV’s Sam Gituku on September 3rd, 2024, the frustrations of Kenya’s education stakeholders were laid bare.
The event, which brought together politicians, educators, and students, quickly turned into a platform for airing grievances about the state of higher education in the country.
Senator Richard Onyonka of Kisii County was particularly vocal, questioning the government’s priorities when it comes to funding.
“How can you give HELB 21 billion and yet HELB is dealing with 200,000 university students and you give me in the National Assembly and the Senate 36 billion shillings and we are only 700 people?” Onyonka asked, pointing out the stark imbalance in the allocation of public funds.
His words underscored a broader concern about how resources are distributed in Kenya, especially when it comes to supporting the country’s youth.
Onyonka did not mince words when he described the country’s treatment of its most vulnerable citizens.
“A country that is not able to take care of the most vulnerable people is a useless country,” he said, urging those in power to ensure that fairness and equity are at the heart of governance.
He expressed frustration that taxpayers’ money, which should be used to improve services like education and healthcare, is instead being mishandled by a few individuals.
The Senator went on to advocate for a more ambitious approach to education funding.
He called for free education at all levels, noting that the Ministry of Education receives 633 billion shillings annually—an amount that should be sufficient to cover the costs of schooling for all students.
“University education, primary school education, secondary school education in Kenya must be free,” he stated.
Onyonka recalled that this figure was equivalent to the entire national budget during President Mwai Kibaki’s early years in office, when the government still managed to pay public servants adequately.
He questioned where this substantial budget is going if not to the students it is meant to support, suggesting that corruption and mismanagement are to blame.
Other speakers at the town hall echoed Onyonka’s concerns, with many pointing to the deeper systemic issues plaguing the education sector.
Dr. Emmanuel Manyasa, a policy expert, was skeptical about the new funding model that the government recently introduced. He argued that it would not solve the financial crisis that public universities are facing.
“Public universities are never run by school fees,” Manyasa said, suggesting that the reliance on tuition to fund universities is unsustainable.
The new funding model, which was a key topic of discussion at the event, has been controversial since its inception.
Dr. Beatrice Inyangala, the Principal Secretary for Higher Education, defended the model by explaining its underlying principles.
According to her, the model is designed to ensure that every student is treated equally, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
She noted that under this model, each household is expected to contribute 20% of the total cost of the program, while the government covers the remaining 80%.
“Everybody was treated equally irrespective of the socioeconomic status,” Dr. Inyangala said, emphasizing that the model was built on the principle of equity.
However, she acknowledged that this information had not been effectively communicated to the public, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction among many students and their families.
Despite these explanations, the model faced criticism from attendees like Kennedy Echesa, who took issue with the assumptions behind it.
He argued that once a person reaches the age of 18, they should be considered independent and not judged based on their parents’ financial status.
“My problem with this model is the assumptions it is based on. You should be judged on your desire to pursue higher education,” Echesa said, adding that HELB, the body responsible for managing these funds, is ineffective and misleading the government about the model’s success.
Prof. Victoria Ngumi, Vice-Chancellor of JKUAT, provided insight into the financial struggles of universities under the current system.
She explained that government capitation—funds allocated to universities—has been decreasing, putting a strain on these institutions.
“Capitation was going down; universities were suffering financially,” Prof. Ngumi said.
She expressed hope that the new student-based funding model, which allocates money directly to universities based on the cost of the programs students are enrolled in, would provide some relief.
Senator Onyonka summed up the mood of the event with a stark warning: “The system is broken, fix it.”
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