Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino has launched a fierce attack on the government’s revised financing approach, claiming it sabotages the future of poor families and stifles national development.
Speaking recently, Babu Owino known for his outspoken advocacy for accessible learning criticized the steep rise in university fees under the new structure. He revealed that annual tuition now ranges from Ksh100,000 to Ksh300,000 for social science courses, while medical programs cost up to Ksh600,000, an amount he says is unreachable for many households.
“A nation cannot be run without education,” Owino declared, warning that the new model was designed to push education out of reach for low-income Kenyans.
“By making education expensive, they are killing the hope of every parent who sees school as their child’s only route out of poverty.” He added.
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He also expressed alarm over reforms targeting the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), noting that the removal of key financial lifelines would make university completion nearly impossible for countless students.
Owino pressed for a return to universal free education, spanning primary to tertiary levels arguing that an informed, empowered population ultimately fuels national growth.
“An educated nation pays it forward,” he said. “That’s how governments get stronger, through taxpayers who had the chance to rise.”
He called on the state to reconsider its priorities and reaffirm its constitutional role in safeguarding education, stating, “It should never be a privilege for the few it must remain a right for all.”
By Masaki Enock
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