The government is grappling with how to finance the highest-ever number of university qualifiers as concerns mount over the sustainability of the student-centred Funding Model.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, speaking at the Second Biennial Conference on Funding Higher Education, said the number of students qualifying for university admission surged to 246,391 in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam-an increase of 45,258 compared to 2023. "We will require Sh25.85 billion to fund first-year students in the 2025/2026 financial year alone.
Over four years, this figure rises to Sh100 billion," Ogamba said. The CS noted that while the student-centred Funding Model had eased some financial strain on universities, outstanding debts remained a challenge, with pending bills standing at Sh72 billion.
This figure has dropped from a peak of Sh75 billion following the introduction of the model in May 2023. A government-appointed National Committee has completed its review of the funding model and will submit its findings to President William Ruto.
