Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged Parliament to fast-track proposed legislation seeking to extend government financial support to students in universities, technical institutions and teacher training colleges.
Kindiki said the Universities and Higher Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, would broaden access to education financing by ensuring that students admitted to recognised higher learning institutions benefit from government support regardless of their family backgrounds.
He challenged Members of Parliament to expedite consideration of the Bill before the December parliamentary recess, saying its passage would help address inequalities in the current higher education funding system.
Under the proposed framework, students joining universities, Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), technical and vocational training institutions and teacher training colleges would qualify for government assistance.
The Deputy President said the move was intended to address historical disparities in which university students received government funding while learners pursuing other professional and technical courses were left out.
Speaking during an inspection of development projects in Voi Constituency, Taita Taveta County, Kindiki said the government was committed to expanding opportunities for young people pursuing different career paths. He argued that financial support should be determined by a student's eligibility for higher education and not by the type of institution they join.
Beyond tuition support, Kindiki said the government was expanding student accommodation to ease pressure on facilities in institutions across the country.
He inspected the construction of hostels at the Voi KMTC campus, a Sh230 million project expected to accommodate 580 students on completion.
He said the government was undertaking accommodation projects with a combined capacity of 180,000 students in universities, KMTC campuses, teacher training colleges and technical institutions. The projects, he said, are part of wider efforts to improve access to higher education while addressing the challenges of accommodation and the rising cost of learning.
During the visit, Kindiki also inspected the construction of Voi Modern Market and reviewed the progress of the Ikanga-Lebanon village electrification programme.
He said the government had invested more than Sh16.5 billion in 243 kilometres of roads across Taita Taveta County, with projects at different stages of implementation. The county is also benefiting from modern markets being developed in Mwatunge, Maungu and Wundanyi, with additional facilities planned for Taveta and Njukini.
Kindiki defended the administration's development record, saying government investments were being distributed across the country irrespective of political support during elections.
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