Universities Need a Funding Plan, Not Election Promises

By Dr. Charles Mukhwaya, Secretary General, Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU)

President William Ruto's announcement that university education will now be fully funded for all students placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has understandably been welcomed by many parents and students. For thousands of families struggling under the weight of school fees, it sounds like the breakthrough they have been waiting for.

But good public policy must be judged not only by its promise but by its credibility.

When such a far-reaching declaration comes just months before a general election, after years of widespread criticism over a dysfunctional university funding model, Kenyans have every right to ask a simple question: **Is this policy, or is it politics?**

As the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), we have consistently argued that higher education should be accessible, equitable and adequately funded. We have fought for better financing of universities, improved welfare for students and staff, and sustainable investment in institutions of higher learning. Therefore, we support the aspiration of making university education affordable for every deserving Kenyan.

However, aspirations alone cannot replace sound planning.

The reality facing Kenya's universities today is grim. Public universities have accumulated billions of shillings in debt. Many are struggling to pay salaries, maintain infrastructure and deliver quality teaching and research. Several institutions are technically insolvent and survive only through government bailouts and emergency interventions.

At the same time, the student-centred funding model introduced with great fanfare has generated confusion and frustration. Many students have received inadequate scholarships and loans, forcing families to make painful financial sacrifices. Others have been compelled to abandon courses they qualified for simply because they could not afford the funding gap.

Even the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), one of the key pillars of university financing, has repeatedly indicated that current allocations are insufficient to support all deserving students. Under the present budgetary framework, HELB can finance only a fraction of those entering university each year.

Against this backdrop, the promise of fully funding every KUCCPS-placed student raises fundamental questions.

Where will the additional billions of shillings come from?

Has Parliament approved a new financing framework?

Has the National Treasury allocated the necessary resources?

Will universities receive the money on time, or will they continue accumulating debt while waiting for government disbursements?

These are not political questions. They are questions of accountability.

A constitutional government has a duty to present major policy changes transparently, supported by legislation, fiscal analysis and public participation. Citizens deserve to understand not only what is being promised but also how those promises will be financed.

Every shilling spent on one sector comes from taxpayers and competes with equally important national priorities, including healthcare, housing, security, agriculture and infrastructure. Honest leadership requires acknowledging these trade-offs instead of presenting expensive commitments without explaining their fiscal implications.

Higher education is far too important to become an election slogan.

Students deserve certainty, not campaign rhetoric.

Parents deserve predictable policies, not announcements whose implementation remains unclear.

University workers deserve institutions that are financially stable, capable of paying salaries on time and maintaining the quality of teaching and research.

As KUSU, we therefore call for three immediate actions.

First, the government should table before Parliament comprehensive and independently verified costings showing exactly how universal funding for KUCCPS students will be financed over the coming years.

Second, Kenya needs a credible legal and policy framework governing higher education financing. Such reforms should be debated openly, subjected to public participation and anchored in law rather than announced through political rallies.

Third, any transition towards universal university funding must strengthen—not weaken—our institutions. The objective should not simply be increasing enrolment but ensuring universities remain financially sustainable while maintaining quality education, protecting workers' welfare and supporting research and innovation.

This conversation must also address equity. If public universities receive significantly increased funding while students attending private universities continue facing higher costs with limited support, we risk creating new inequalities within our higher education system.

Education should unite the nation, not deepen existing disparities.

Kenyans are not opposed to free university education. Indeed, many of us have long believed that higher education should never be determined by the size of a parent's wallet. But achieving that vision requires responsible governance, prudent financial planning and genuine consultation with all stakeholders.

University education is an investment in the country's future, not merely another campaign promise.

The young people entering our universities today will become tomorrow's doctors, engineers, teachers, lawyers, scientists and entrepreneurs. They deserve policies built on sustainability rather than political expediency.

If universal university funding is indeed the government's new direction, let it be accompanied by transparent budgeting, enforceable legislation and measurable implementation timelines.

Kenyans deserve more than applause lines.

They deserve a plan.