Gachagua challenges Ruto to explain how free varsity and TVET education will be funded

Gachagua questioned whether the programme is feasible, citing what he said are outstanding obligations to public universities, concerns over lecturers' pay and the disruption of learning in institutions affected by the ongoing lecturers' strike.

Speaking in an interview on KTN, the former Deputy President said expanding access to higher education would need a clear funding plan, especially as public universities continue to struggle financially. He said the government should first settle its obligations and restore normal operations in public universities before taking on new commitments.

"How foolish does William Ruto think Kenyans are? When he cannot pay the lecturers, they are at home, children are at home... he owes 98 billion to public universities so there's no teaching going on," Gachagua said.(Education News Kenya — https://educationnews.co.ke/news/gachagua-challenges-ruto-to-explain-how-free-varsity-and-tvet-education-will-be-funded)

He asked how the administration would pay for free tertiary education while institutions faced funding constraints and students' studies were interrupted. He named Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Moi University and Egerton University as institutions whose finances had raised concern about the sustainability of public university operations.

"Can he pay the 98 billion to the lecturers so they can go back to work? Can he pump money into the university so that they can function then in January tell us where he'll get the money?" he asked.

The proposed introduction of free university and TVET education in January 2027 has put the financing of higher education at the centre of the debate on the government's education priorities. 

Implementation would depend on sustainable funding. The proposal will need clarity on the funding model, the institutions and students covered, and how government allocations will be enough to support it.