A lobby group is urging President William Ruto to disband the 129-member committee he appointed and revert to the previous university funding model.
The Elimu Bora Working Group contends that the need for a committee to assess the new funding model is unnecessary, as its failures are already clear.
“We don’t need a committee to confirm that the new model is detrimental to our children. We’ve witnessed its damaging effects firsthand,” the group stated in a recent announcement.
They highlighted that nearly 600,000 eligible students missed out on university placement this year, with over 23,000 qualified candidates opting not to apply due to the unaffordability caused by the new model.
“Furthermore, 136,592 students qualified for diploma courses and 249,149 for certificate programs but couldn’t pursue education because of restrictive funding bands,” they added.
The group argued that these statistics illustrate the widespread uncertainty stemming from the new funding system.
“We don’t need a committee to dismantle this model—the Ministry of Education can resolve this crisis with a simple decision.”
They accused the government of trying to stall, weaken opposition, and avoid implementing real educational reforms.
Previous administrations have used similar tactics by forming commissions to quell public unrest, they noted. Despite solid recommendations from those commissions, little was achieved due to a lack of implementation.
The group is calling for the Ministry of Education to return to the old funding model to enable hundreds of thousands of students to continue their studies.
“Our students shouldn’t be subjected to experimental policies that threaten their education. President Ruto should disband the 129-member committee and reinstate the old funding model.”
Elimu Bora Working Group is a coalition of civil society organizations advocating for the right to education through awareness, research, advocacy, and partnerships. Its members include the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Elimu Tuitakayo, the Universities Academic Staff Union, and others.
President Ruto appointed the committee, chaired by Prof. Micheni Ntiba, on September 16 to review the new university funding model.
