The number of students enrolled in private varsities has dropped by 14.1 per cent from 112,287 to 96,640 this year, according to the Economic Survey 2024 released yesterday by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The survey also showed a 7.1 per cent increase in the number of learners in public universities from 482,586 to 450,638.
This perhaps may be attributed to the announcement by Education CS Ezekiel Machogu that the Kenya University and College Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will no longer place state-sponsored students in private institutions.
“This year all our students will go to public universities unless as a parent you want to take your child to a private institution,” said Machogu last year while addressing the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education.
“No government grants will be given to private universities. We have said and it’s now a policy that grants will only be given to public universities,” added the CS.
The introduction of the Universities (Amendment) (No3), Bill of 2023, by Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka signalled the beginning of a process that withholds significant State funding from private colleges.
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