- Chuka University has relaxed fee payment requirements for newly admitted students amid uncertainty over university financing.
- Vice-Chancellor Prof. Henry Mutembei says students can proceed with registration regardless of the amount already paid.
- The move offers relief to families struggling to raise university fees at once.
Chuka University has moved to ease the financial burden on parents and guardians of newly admitted students by allowing them to pay whatever amount they can afford towards their children’s fees during the first-year admission process.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Henry Mutembei announced the arrangement after parents expressed frustration over the eCitizen platform, which had been requiring them to make full fee payments upfront before completing the admission process.
The decision is expected to provide relief to families struggling to raise the required amount at once, allowing students to proceed with admission as parents continue meeting their financial obligations.
Parents raise concerns over university costs
The development comes amid growing concerns over the cost of university education, with some parents expressing disappointment with President William Ruto over what they described as a gap between government assurances on access to education and the financial demands facing families.
Some parents said they had understood the President’s message to mean that students would be able to join universities without their families being required to shoulder unaffordable upfront costs.
The intervention by the university administration is expected to smoothen the ongoing admission exercise and prevent students from being locked out because of their inability to raise the full amount immediately.
Chuka University is expected to admit more than 9,000 first-year students by Friday this week. The new admissions will push the institution’s total student population to more than 30,000.
The university has previously assured students and parents that inability to clear fees would not result in students being sent away, with Prof. Mutembei urging parents to make an effort to support their students and the institution through fee payments.
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The latest move comes as universities across the country continue grappling with challenges surrounding the financing of higher education and the ability of families to meet their share of education costs.
By Jeff Kirui
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