State drops plan to raise university fees
The entrance of the University of Nairobi’s Main Campus.
The government has agreed to enhance allocation to the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) to support more students in universities instead of increasing fees.
The National Treasury, Ministry of Education and the National Assembly Education committee came up with the resolutions amid protests by university students over an earlier plan to increase tuition fees by three times.
The resolutions signed by the National Assembly Education and Research Committee chairperson Florence Mutua advised that any review of university fees paid by students should consider the current economic situation.
Currently, Helb gives students a minimum of Sh37,000 and a maximum of Sh60,000 as loans annually.
Vice-chancellors had proposed students tuition fee be increased from the current Sh16, 000 to Sh48, 000 annually.
A week ago, university stakeholders including the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury, public universities, private universities, the Commission for University Education, the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation and the University Funding Board (UFB) held a meeting with the Education committee to unlock the financial crisis in public varsities.
