Universities across the nation are on the brink of a crisis as students threaten to stage countrywide demonstrations starting next Tuesday.
Their demand is one: the government to release funds that have been long overdue.
Student leaders representing various universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions are leading the charge to have the plight of thousands of vulnerable first-year students resolved.
These students, who had pinned their hopes on scholarships and loans under the new funding model, have been waiting for over two months since they first set foot on campus.
Adding to the discontent, the student leaders argue that they were not consulted in the review of the new University Funding Model, deepening their frustration.
Raphael Leboo, a Kisii University student, exemplifies the dire situation.
Despite his recent enrollment, he and his fellow students have struggled to move the wheels of life due to the delayed disbursement of funds.
Their living conditions, confined to a sparsely furnished room, have become a testament to their financial woes.
They’re forced to share rent and ration their meals, casting a long shadow over their academic aspirations.
Leboo and his peers, much like countless others, hail from financially vulnerable families.
In response to this crisis, student leaders have issued a resounding call for action if their demands remain unmet.
They are also gravely concerned that the revised higher education funding model will adversely affect thousands of students.
While Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu defends the university funding model, he disclosed that out of the 140,000 students placed in universities for the 2023/2024 academic year, a staggering 119,000 are without the expected financial support.
This imbalance has raised concerns about the mounting debt burden in public universities.
Tensions continue to escalate in public universities and TVETs as the government’s failure to disburse funds leaves these institutions grappling to sustain their operations.
The impending student strike represents a plea for timely action to resolve this critical issue and safeguard the future of higher education.
By Viola Chepkemoi
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