Inyangala struggles to defend university funding model as Senators reject it

Higher Education and Research Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala struggled to convince senators that the new university funding model is the best solution to Kenya’s higher education crisis.

While appearing before the Senate Education Committee led by Senator Margaret Kamar, Inyangala admitted that the model is facing major problems.

These include lack of enough money, errors in student data, and even claims of bribery in the funding process.

One of the biggest mistakes made by the Ministry was assuming that students from national schools could afford to pay higher university fees.

In reality, many students from such schools come from poor backgrounds and cannot raise the required money.

A survey found that 53% of students did not fill their financial assessment forms themselves.

Instead, they left the work to cybercafé attendants who may have entered wrong information, affecting the accuracy of the data used to determine funding.

During the session, Laikipia Senator John Kinyua suggested that chiefs should be the ones to collect data on students’ financial backgrounds to ensure fairness.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu strongly criticized the model, saying it has made education too expensive for many families. He pointed out that under the previous Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) system, students paid Sh16,000 per year. Now, under the new model, some students are required to pay up to Sh90,000, which is beyond what many parents can afford.

Inyangala defended the model, saying it was introduced to create fairness and save 23 out of 40 public universities that are struggling financially.

She claimed that 73% of students are paying Sh60,000 or less per year under the new arrangement. According to her, the model is meant to help universities function properly while ensuring that needy students get support.

She assured the senators that once the system is fully implemented, it will work well for everyone.

Despite her explanations, senators were not convinced. They insisted that the model needs to be reviewed to ensure university education remains affordable for all students.

The concerns raised in the meeting show that the government must address the problems in the system before more students are locked out of higher education.