- Thousands of university freshmen are reporting to campuses while some continue waiting for Government funding.
- Hillary Muhalya examines what the HELB delays mean as Kenya prepares another higher education financing overhaul.
- The transition, he argues, must not leave vulnerable students stranded between the existing and proposed systems.
Thousands of university freshmen have been told to report and settle into their institutions despite delays in the release of HELB funds, as the Government races to complete payments while simultaneously preparing to overhaul the country’s higher education financing system.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr Beatrice Inyangala has urged universities to admit first-year students and ensure that vulnerable learners are supported as the Government finalises the funding process.
Her intervention comes at a sensitive moment for students entering university, many of whom depend on Government financing for tuition, accommodation, food, transport and other basic expenses.
The Ministry has acknowledged the delays, saying the processing of HELB funds is ongoing and that students should remain patient.
But the bigger story goes beyond the delayed payments.
Kenya is now standing at the threshold of a potentially far-reaching transformation of how university and TVET students are financed.
Inyangala’s message to universities is clear: financial uncertainty should not prevent students from beginning their studies.
She said universities were already supporting needy and vulnerable students as the Government worked on the proposed new financing framework.
“The students should join universities as we wait for the processing of the Bill,” she said.
The directive is particularly important for first-year students who have just completed secondary school and are reporting to campuses for the first time.
For many families, however, reporting to university without confirmed financial support is a daunting prospect.
Students require money not only for tuition but also for accommodation, meals, transport, learning materials and other necessities.
That is why delays in HELB disbursements can quickly become more than an administrative inconvenience. They can determine whether a financially disadvantaged student settles into university comfortably — or begins the academic journey under severe financial pressure.
HELB has nevertheless indicated that disbursements have commenced, with some batches already being processed. Students in affected batches have been advised to allow time for the funds to reflect.
HELB delays expose bigger funding problem
The immediate concern for students is when their money will arrive.
The bigger question for policymakers is whether the existing financing architecture can sustainably support the growing number of Kenyans pursuing higher education.
The Government is attempting to answer that question through the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which is currently before Parliament.
The proposed legislation seeks to create a new framework for student placement and financing and could fundamentally reshape the institutions currently responsible for supporting students.
The proposed Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA) would bring together functions currently handled by HELB, the Universities Fund and other bodies involved in tertiary education financing.
Parliament is already considering the proposed legislation, meaning the country is effectively debating the future of higher education financing while students are simultaneously dealing with the realities of the current system.
Ruto’s full-funding promise
President William Ruto has promised a new era in which students placed in universities, colleges and TVET institutions receive comprehensive Government support.
The pledge is aimed at removing financial barriers that have historically forced some qualified students to defer admission or struggle through university because their families cannot raise the required money.
But there is an important distinction that students and parents must understand.
“Full funding” does not necessarily mean free education.
Under the proposed framework, Government support could include loans and other financing mechanisms, meaning beneficiaries may ultimately have repayment obligations.
The proposed framework provides for the recovery of student loans after beneficiaries complete their studies, making the parliamentary debate particularly important.
What students eventually receive, what they repay, when repayment begins and how much can be deducted from their earnings will depend on the final legal framework.
The promise must match the reality
The Government’s ambition is understandable.
Kenya needs a higher education financing system that is predictable, equitable, transparent and financially sustainable.
But policy reform should not create uncertainty for students who are already inside the system.
The lesson from the current HELB delays is simple: funding promises mean little to a student who cannot afford a meal or accommodation while waiting for money to arrive.
The transition from one financing model to another therefore requires careful sequencing.
Students must continue learning.
Universities must continue admitting them.
Lecturers must continue teaching.
And institutions must continue receiving the resources required to keep campuses running.
The Government, meanwhile, must ensure that the new financing framework does not merely change the name of the institution administering student funding.
It must solve the underlying problem.
Kenya has experienced several changes to higher education financing over the years.
Each reform has been introduced with the promise of improving access, fairness and sustainability.
The latest proposal therefore carries enormous expectations.
The proposed TEFA framework could simplify a system that has increasingly become difficult for students and parents to navigate.
But its success will ultimately be judged not by the legislation itself, but by what happens when a student applies for funding.
Can the money arrive on time?
Can students understand exactly what they are entitled to?
Can vulnerable learners access support without unnecessary bureaucracy?
Can universities plan their finances with confidence?
And can graduates repay their obligations without being pushed into another cycle of financial hardship?
Those are the questions that matter.
For now, the message to first-year students is to report, register and begin their academic journey as the Government completes the current HELB disbursement process.
But for policymakers, the responsibility is considerably greater.
They must ensure that the transition to the proposed new system does not leave today’s students stranded between an existing financing model and a new one that is still taking shape.
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The future of Kenyan higher education may be changing — but students cannot afford to wait for the future to arrive.
By Hilary Muhalya
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