By Malachi Motano
KU Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina
Kenyatta University (KU) Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina has warned warns the University of Nairobi (UoN) that it risks losing students to other universities if it goes ahead with its planned fee increment for post graduate, masters and parallel degree programmes.
According to Prof. Wainaina, students will opt for other universities for similar programmes at a lower cost.
He said that although universities are given the leeway to determine fees for post graduate and parallel programmes, doubling fees will have a serious impact on admissions at the university.
“The cost of pursuing programmes like Engineering and Medicine at UoN will move from Sh 400,000 to Sh 800,000 annually. It will thus cost several millions to complete such programmes. How many students can afford this amount?” he posed, adding discussions were on going at KU on the affordability of some programmes,’’ he said.
“We are in discussions on reviewing the cost of our programmes. However, we won’t double the fees. It will be affordable to students,” he said.
He was speaking to journalists at the newly constructed Mama Ngina University in Gatundu South Sub County where he noted that UoN should have consulted other universities before effecting the fee increment.
UoN had announced plans to increase fees for some of its programmes in order to ease the cash crunch brought by a dip in student enrolment causing uproar from students and the Education Ministry who complained that pursuing such courses at the university will be unaffordable.
University Vice Chancellor Prof. Kiama Gitahi had to clarify that the increments will apply to new students joining the university from this month.
