The Ministry of Education has called on all Universities to come to terms with the government’s policies on school fees.
Universities have also been directed to admit all students who were placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
Following the opening of the Education Hungary Fair in Nairobi on the 29th of October 2021, the Principal Secretary State Department for University Education and Research Amb. Simon Nabukwesi revealed that the government was encouraging access, equity and quality education for all for purposes of national development. Owing to this no university should be increasing school fees.
“There are financial constraints among universities. However, as a Ministry, we maintain our position that we should not have fee increments. Universities have been communicated the same. Universities should respect the policy of the government on school fees and the handling of Students,” said Amb. Nabukwesi.
Besides, Nabukwesi also revealed that the government had informed universities in Kenya that they should ensure admission of all students placed to the institutions by KUCCPS to study their respective courses according to their qualifications. This is to be done as soon as possible.
Nabukwesi’s speech comes after the High Court ordered shelving plans of increasing fess that could have affected more than Sh. 500,000 students in public universities across the country. He said that the new formula that universities came up with whereby what students who pursue certain courses should pay, is unconstitutional.
According to High Court Judge Justice Anthony Mrima, the criterion was an infringement of the Kenyan constitution for a lack of adequate public participation.
This follows resistance to the University of Nairobi’s (UoN) move to introduce new fees from the Kenya Medical Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
KMPDU challenged the introduction of a new fees structure by the University of Nairobi which was to kick in starting from the month of August 2021 when the first-year students reported.
The union was seeking to stop UoN and the Universities Funding Board (UFB) from using a new fees structure that was based on Differential Unit Cost (DUC).
Amb. Nabukwesi appreciated the Hungarian government’s good move of increasing the number of scholarships awarded to Kenya students who can now apply and go to study in Hungarian Universities.
The Government of Hungary has been offering Scholarships to Kenya since the year 2016/17 academic year under the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship.
Eligible students have been urged to apply for the available slots.