MPs Move to Stop State Funds From Going to Private Universities
Members of Parliament are advocating for the government to enroll government-sponsored students in public universities to improve their financial fortunes.
According to the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, the decreasing number of students sponsored by the government joining public universities has led to a financial burden on these institutions.
Lawmakers say that private universities should not recieve Higher Education Loans Board (Helb), which pays tuition fees to students.
Committee Chairman Jack Wamboka criticized the government for neglecting public universities, leading to their current financial struggles.
The MPs argued that private universities prioritize profits, while public universities primarily offer services to the public, and hence should receive priority funding.
They propose directing public money to public universities instead of private universities, and auditing the latter first
The MPs highlighted documents presented by Higher Education and Research Principal Secretary Beatrice Muganda, Helb Chief Executive Charles Ringera, and Assistant Director Silas Owiti, which showed that the government disbursed Sh12.14 billion to private universities between 2017/2018-2020/2021, while public institutions only received Sh10 billion in the same period.
Lunga Lunga MP Mangale Munga alleged the existence of a “private club” in the government protecting private universities’ interests at the expense of public ones.
Helb Should Be for Poor students
Mumina Bonaya, the Isiolo Woman Representative, argues that private universities make payments that benefit only a few entities and the wealthy, while the majority who are supposed to benefit receive a raw deal.
Helb CEO Charles Ringera explained that they give the same amount to students admitted to public and private universities and disburse money to enrolled students, not universities.
However, MPs rejected Ringera’s explanation, stating that many students had been complaining about universities placing them in private institutions against their wishes.
They argued that it is unlikely for a poor student to select a university with high fees, such as USIU, where fees are Sh200,000, and receive only Sh40,000 from Helb while leaving a public university where fees are Sh16,000 and still receive Sh40,000.
The MPs proposed prioritizing placement in public universities to bring back the glory of these institutions, protect the interests of the public, and ensure that public money benefits the majority.
MPs Move to Stop State Funds From Going to Private Universities
