The Ministry of Education under CS George Magoha has suspended all universities fee increment plans after holding a meeting with stakeholders.
University Education PS Simon Nabukwesi directed all institutions to shelve the plan until 2022. He also refuted reports that universities, including the University of Nairobi, had increased fees.
The former Friends School Kamusinga principal argued that UoN's plan was internal and the ministry did not authorise nor support the plan.
"This is a lie because no one has sanctioned such a move to increase fees across the board. Whatever is happening at the University of Nairobi is internal," Nabukwesi disowned UoN's fee hike.
"It was unanimously agreed that any fee hike be suspended until further notice and we do not expect any further calls from the universities," the PS added.
UoN Vice-Chancellor Stephen Kiama, three VCs from private universities, officials drawn from National Assembly Education Committee, Universities Funding Board and the National Treasury attended the stakeholder's meeting.
"Any fee hike move would be done in full concurrence of all players, including parents," Nabukwesi directed.
On Wednesday, July 14, police arrested three University of Nairobi (UoN) student leaders for allegedly organising demonstrations in the institution.
This was after UoN increased fees for degree courses Commerce, Economics and Law parallel degree courses by up to 70 per cent. The new fee totalled to about Ksh1 million for four years.
Communications and MBA students were to pay over Ksh600,000 for a two-year course, up from Ksh275,000.
UoN had announced that all new students admitted to the University starting from August 2021 would be subjected to the new changes.