By Roy Hezron
The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has called for an urgent stakeholders’ forum to address the current financial crisis facing Public Universities on the back of the recent remarks by the Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu that the government shall discontinue funding public universities.
In a press conference held on November 7, 2022 at the union headquarters in Nairobi, UASU Secretary General Dr. Constantine Wasonga Opiyo stated that if the funding crisis is not addressed urgently, higher education in the country is on verge of collapse.
“The financial situation of universities has now reached a crisis level and unless it is addressed immediately, there is imminent collapse of higher education. UASU calls for an urgent stakeholders’ forum to discuss the crisis with an aim of finding a lasting solution,” said Dr. Wasonga.
He stated that the underfunding crisis was due to insufficient capitation, making the running of university affairs nearly impossible, adding that the current fee being charged for government-sponsored students [Ksh16, 000 per semester] is way below market rates.
He added that if the government stops funding public universities, it will give them leeway to charge fees on their terms; a move that could disenfranchise economically disadvantaged students.
“If public universities are given free will to charge fees at a market rate this will be very expensive. This means university education will only be accessed by the rich and we will not allow that,” Wasonga stated.
On Saturday November 5, 2022 while at Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology in Nyeri County, CS Machogu said that the current financial crisis affecting the institutions called for alternative sources of income.
He thus urged public institutions of higher learning to embrace research, innovation, and technology to generate their individual income as the State is on the verge of withdrawing its financial support.
“In Kenya, education takes about 25.9 per cent of the budget and we have to find other ways of creating and generating revenues for universities. I’m going to move around every university in Kenya because a number of them are faced with financial problems and we are encouraging them to generate their own income because the exchequer is not going to continue funding them,” said Machogu.
Wasonga rejected Machogu’s propositions saying that public universities are government entities thus the responsibility of funding and running them lies with the State.
“Why is it that only public universities are being asked to be innovative and not other government departments? By definition a public university means that it’s public and government sponsored,” he said.
In addition Wasonga said the University community is worried by CS Machogu’s pronouncements just days after he assumed the role, saying it contradicts the charter signed by President William Ruto and the university community during campaigns ahead of the 2022 General Election, adding that in the charter, President Ruto instead committed to increase research funding.
“Does the CS know these pledges to Universities by his appointing authority? The CS is confirming our worries that he is not fit for this position,” he concluded.
