New Bill to Cut Funding for 35 Private Universities
On Wednesday, in the National Assembly, members of parliament from Khwisero and Christopher Aseka introduced a bill that sought to reduce government funding for 35 private universities.
If enacted, the University (Amendments No. 3) Bill of 2023 would prohibit the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS) from placing students in private universities and reduce funding for such institutions.
During the bill’s introduction, Aseka declared that its objective was to guarantee the appropriate application of public funds.
Aseka defended the bill, emphasizing its objective to protect public funds from misuse by private entities not covered by the regulatory framework of the Public Finance Management Act.
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The University Act allocates public funds financed by taxpayers to private universities through loans and conditional grants.
The amendment now allocates the University Fund exclusively to public universities, abolishing a practice introduced in 2017 during the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The University Act also has a part that Aseka’s Bill wants to change. It says, “KUCCPS shall coordinate the placement of government-sponsored students in universities and colleges.”
The proposed amendment will include “public” preceding universities to prohibit ex-chequer funds from reaching private universities.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu issued a directive in March 2023 stipulating that students enrolled in public universities would be eligible to obtain government loans exclusively and government scholarships.
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However, under the new proposal by the Khwisero legislator, private students will experience an additional denial of government loan eligibility.
In March, Julius Melly, chairman of the Education Committee of the National Assembly, revealed that they had not yet audited the Ksh8 billion allocated to private universities as capitation.
Melly signaled the conclusion of the funding model, stating that individuals desiring to attend a private university should proceed by using their financial resources, affirming that there was no objection to such a choice.
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New Bill to Cut Funding for 35 Private Universities