By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
President William Ruto on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, held a meeting with vice-chancellors of all public universities.
The meeting held at State House Nairobi also involved principals of constituent colleges.
In an update on his social media pages, President Ruto said the meeting was meant to evaluate the funding model his administration introduced last year.
The President said the VCs and principals affirmed that the new funding model was working.
He also expressed optimism that within the next three years, financial challenges facing public universities will be a thing of the past.
“I have met the vice-chancellors of public universities and principals of constituent colleges to evaluate the funding model introduced last year,” the Head of State said in part of his post on X, formerly Twitter.
“The vice-chancellors confirmed that the financing model is working and in three years time will sort out the financial challenges facing our universities,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Ruto has affirmed that the Government is committed to enhancing budgetary support for the differentiated unit cost for continuing students.
University funding has been a major issue in the country for the last few years. The matter has seen most universities in deep financial woes – which has in turn had a negative impact on the quality of education.
Most of the affected universities, including Moi University and Egerton University have witnessed regular industrial action.
But when he ascended to power in 2022, President Ruto introduced a new funding model he expressed hope would address the financial challenges.
The Ministry of Education argues that the new model prioritises a student’s financial need and separates placement from funding.
Under this model, universities and TVET institutions will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation. Instead, funding for students will be provided through scholarships, loans, and household contributions.