A section of university students in Eldoret City and Machakos kicked off their strike to agitate for an overhaul of the new university funding model. Led by student leaders from Moi University, the students vowed to continue with the demos despite suspension.
The protests came hardly a day after another faction in Nairobi on Sunday called off their strike after consultative meetings with stakeholders in the education sector.
There has been a widespread dissatisfaction with the new university funding model which students claim locks out many students from accessing higher education.
“We are demonstrating against the punitive and oppressive new funding model that seeks to bring inequality in education,” one of the student leaders lamented.
“Education is an equaliser to all students from all backgrounds. We are concerned about the discriminatory nature of the new university funding model.”
The students vowed not to allow the new funding model and vowed to continue calling on President William to revert to the traditional funding model as stakeholders find a new alternative.
Among other things, the student leaders also called for a reduction in the cost of hostel accommodations and tuition fees, which they say has increased markedly without public participation.
It comes as the government on Sunday announced that it will establish two working committees to review the new funding model.
The committees will comprise a representation of students in a bid to try to provide a way forward at the thorny issue facing the country’s education system.
In a statement to the press, the Ministry of Education announced that the working committees will draw membership from the student leadership, experts and other relevant stakeholders.
The striking students outrightly demanded that the bands, especially band 4 and band 5, to be disbanded and removed completely. “We reject and object to the new university funding model,” they chanted.
