If the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) are fully implemented, university fees for government-sponsored students could triple.
The PWPER proposed raising fees from Ksh16,000 to Ksh52,000 per semester in its second interim report.
The proposals, which were presented to President William Ruto on February 16, also noted a funding shortfall in universities, urging the government to increase its funding.
According to the team, the government failed to fund public universities by a total of Ksh164 billion from the 2018/2019 academic year to the 2022/2023 academic year, while private universities experienced a funding shortfall of Ksh56.96 billion.
Furthermore, the task force urged the government to forgive the universities’ massive debts to statutory bodies.
“The debts owed to statutory bodies is currently Ksh56.13 billion including deductions for pension, National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), National Social Security Fund (NSS) amongst others,” the report issued by the task force read in part.
Concerning university leadership, the task force recommended that all 28 vacant university chancellor positions be filled in order for the institutions to function properly.
Furthermore, the task force stated that before appointing chancellors for different universities, the president should seek the input of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the university’s Senate.
“To ensure an improvement in governance in universities, while still the appointing authority for the chancellors, the President should put into consideration the input of the relevant authorities,” stated the task force.
Moreover, the team, led by Prof Raphael Munavu, emphasised the importance of increasing student enrollment in Teachers’ Training Colleges, noting that the intake stood at 3,922 students in 34 institutions with a capacity of 26,650 students.
It also stated that the government should broaden the scope of Technical and Vocational Training by establishing such institutions across the country.
“The government should establish a National Polytechnic in every county, Technical Vocational College in every constituency and a Vocational Training Centre in each ward,” the task force added.
The Presidential Working Party report focused on higher education in Kenya and the reforms required to make it more accessible and affordable.
Previously, the team proposed the implementation of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) and the transition of Grade 6 learners to Junior Secondary Schools.
