Senators have called for the expansion of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding model to include students in teacher training colleges, arguing that the current framework excludes a critical segment of learners and undermines equity in access to government support.
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, who tabled the motion in the Senate, urged the Ministry of Education, HELB and the Universities Fund to formally integrate teacher training college (TTC) students into the New Higher Education Funding (NHEF) model. He said clear regulations should be developed to define eligibility, covering tuition, accommodation and upkeep costs. “It is concerning that students enrolled in public teacher training colleges are excluded from the higher education financing framework, limiting their access to government support,” Nyutu told the House.
Introduced in 2023, The NHEF model currently targets university and technical, vocational and training (TVET) students, leaving diploma and certificate teacher trainees without adequate financial support. Nyutu warned that the Competency‑Based Curriculum (CBC) requires a skilled teaching workforce, and financial burdens on teacher trainees, many from marginalized backgrounds, threaten the sustainability of the teacher supply chain.
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Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga emphasized the importance of technical skills for national development and stressed the need to retool teachers to meet CBC requirements. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna added that all higher education students deserve support, saying university students are not inherently more deserving than those in teacher training or medical colleges.
Sifuna, however, expressed concern that the system no longer works effectively for many graduates, citing recent reports that over 500,000 university graduates are unable to repay their loans.
“Unfortunately, for many Kenyans and young students, that is no longer the case. We saw a report last week in the media that over 500,000 university graduates are unable to service their loans. Mister Speaker, if there are 500,000 graduates unable to start paying back their loans, what that tells you is that there is a problem,” Sifuna said, adding that employment opportunities must match training to uplift families from poverty.
By Masaki Enock
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