Source: Facebook
On August 22, 2024, Chief Justice Martha Koome made strong remarks about Kenya’s new university funding model.
Her criticism highlights the challenges faced by students from low-income backgrounds under the current system. Koome’s concerns have sparked a broader debate about fairness and the need for educational reform in Kenya.
The new funding model categorizes students into different bands based on their financial situation. Students placed in Band 5 are required to pay 60% of their degree costs, which has raised alarms among those from poorer families.
Koome expressed sympathy for these students, pointing out that the system unfairly places many from financially struggling backgrounds in Band 5, while students from wealthier families are placed in Band 1, which is intended for those with the lowest income.
During the launch of the Strategic Guiding Framework for Greening Kenya’s Justice System, Koome questioned the criteria used to assign students to these bands.
She remarked on the apparent injustice, stating that it is deeply unfair for a student from a less privileged background to be placed in a high-cost band when they should be in a lower-cost one. This misplacement, according to Koome, reflects a broader issue of inequality within the education system.
Koome's frustration stems from the impact this model has on students’ ability to access higher education. She described how some students who are financially disadvantaged are unable to afford the fees required by their assigned bands, while students from wealthier families benefit from lower fees.
This disparity, she argues, exacerbates existing inequalities and undermines the goal of making education accessible to all. To address these issues, Koome has proposed consolidating all existing bursary funds into a single education fund.
Currently, bursaries are distributed through various channels, including county governments, Members of Parliament (MPs), and Women Representatives. Koome believes that combining these funds into a unified system would streamline support and ensure that it is used more effectively to support students from poor backgrounds.
According to Koome, a consolidated fund could potentially provide enough resources to offer free education for all students. She argued that by pooling resources and managing them through a centralized fund, the government could eliminate the discrepancies and inefficiencies present in the current system.
This approach, she suggests, would be a more equitable solution that ensures all students, regardless of their financial situation, have access to the education they need.
In response to the criticism and the ongoing debate, the Ministry of Education has issued a directive to public universities. The directive instructs institutions to admit all students who have been offered places, regardless of their ability to pay the fees.
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