University student leaders have announced nationwide protests set to kick off on Monday, September 02, to oppose the new university funding model, stating that all attempts to engage the government have failed.
The protests, spearheaded by University of Nairobi (UoN) student leaders, are in response to a new funding model that they argue will make university education inaccessible to students from low-income families.
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“The public at large is crying because they have been placed in the wrong bands and subjected to pay excessive amounts of fees. It is high time that the government listened to urge all students from all universities and mainly from UoN to come out on September 2,” noted the student leaders.
The leaders emphasize that this model is discriminatory and undermines efforts to make quality tertiary education accessible to all.
Despite widespread opposition, including appeals from over 10,000 students, the government appears resolute in its decision to implement the model.
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“We have received over 10,000 appeals, and this is an ongoing process. We want to identify where these needy students are so that we can place them in the correct funding band,
“Once we process the appeals, we will update the universities to review the household fees for the students. We will also provide this information on the HEF portal, accompanied by an SMS alert to inform the students,” Universities Fund Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Monari said on the issue.
The new funding model has faced backlash from key stakeholders, including parents and students, with many fearing that it will lead to a significant number of students dropping out due to the high cost of education.
This standoff escalated after a town hall meeting on August 25, 2024, where President William Ruto discussed the model, but student leaders remained unsatisfied with the government’s stance.
The student leaders vow to continue their protests until their concerns are addressed, marking increased tension between the government and the student community.
