NAIROBI -Kenya’s public universities are facing their most serious financial crisis in years, with Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi warning that some campuses may be forced to shut down and staff could soon be out of work.
Appearing before Parliament’s Education Committee on Thursday, Mr Mbadi painted a bleak picture. He said the government can no longer afford to fully fund university education, with the situation so dire that institutions are owed over KSh4 billion.
“Let us not lie to ourselves,” he told MPs. “As a country, we can no longer fully finance university education.”
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John Mbadi
In response, the government is planning a wide-ranging shake-up of how higher education is managed and funded. This includes closing underused satellite campuses, laying off staff, and outsourcing some services to reduce costs.
Mr Mbadi said the Ministry of Education, working alongside the National Treasury and universities, is preparing a new strategy to make the sector financially stable.
“We must reduce unnecessary administrative costs,” he said. “We must resize staff and rationalise campuses.”
These changes are part of a broader push by President William Ruto’s administration to rein in public spending, especially in sectors that have seen unchecked expansion over the years.
Cost Burden to Shift to Parents
Perhaps most controversial is the government’s proposal to shift more education costs to parents. Mr Mbadi defended the new model-already being rolled out despite public pushback—as the only realistic way forward.
“This model, even though it faced resistance, is helping universities and students stay afloat,” he explained.
Parents may soon be asked to shoulder more of the financial load, not just for university tuition but also for national exam registration fees. The CS also hinted that free basic education may be revised in future, saying the programme has become too expensive to maintain given rising student numbers and limited government resources.
Mixed Reactions and Rising Tension
The proposed changes have already sparked concern among education stakeholders. Some argue that cutting university funding could worsen inequality, locking out students from low-income backgrounds. Others fear that closing campuses in remote areas will hurt regional development and access to education.
Students’ unions have also expressed alarm. One Nairobi-based student leader told The Standard, “We’re barely surviving under the current system. Asking parents to pay more is just unfair.”
Still, the government insists reforms are necessary. Universities have long been dogged by delayed funding, ballooning wage bills, and declining academic standards. Several public institutions have admitted to operating on borrowed money.
Looking Ahead
As of now, it remains unclear how many campuses will be affected or when the changes will take effect. What’s clear, though, is that a major reset is on the horizon for Kenya’s higher education system.
The coming weeks will likely see more debate, more pushback, and hopefully, clearer answers for the thousands of students whose futures now hang in the balance.
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