Magoha: Kenyans Aren't Poor, University Fee Should Be Ksh 100K

Outgoing Education CS George Magoha addressing at the Chuka University graduation ceremony on Friday, October 14, 2022..jpg
Former Education CS George Magoha addressing the congregation at the Chuka University graduation ceremony on Friday, October 14, 2022.
Ministry of Education

Outgoing Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, has insisted that Kenyans are not poor and can, therefore, pay up to Ksh100,000 for university school fees.

Speaking on Friday, October 14, at a graduation ceremony at Chuka University, the CS insisted that a review of the current tuition fees paid to universities was necessary.

He argued that the Ksh16,000 recommended fee was no longer feasible 30 years down the line since its introduction.

The meagre amount, he claimed, was of the contributing factors to financial constraints in tertiary institutions.

Outgoing Education CS George Magoha attends the Chuka University graduation ceremony on Friday, October 14, 2022..jpg
Former Education CS George Magoha attends the Chuka University graduation ceremony on Friday, October 14, 2022.
Ministry of Education

"I do not believe that Kenyans are poor, the funding board has a big problem of identifying a model which will fund only those who are in need

"The Ksh16,000 was created over 30 years ago, and please, let us be realistic. The value of Ksh16,000 at the time is about Ksh100,000 today (as per inflation rates)," Magoha stated.

The tough-talking CS opined that while vice-chancellors were aware of the financial gap, they were afraid of addressing the same with the learners and parents as the issue has always been politicised. 

"In my three years, I have not seen a vice chancellor engage students to move the fees from Ksh16,000 to Ksh30,000 because you cannot bulldoze it to Ksh48,000. But the students themselves are the most unrealistic.

"When I was first employed as a lecturer, my salary was Ksh6,000. All lecturers can agree that that is not what they want today. Can we get a life as Kenyans and be serious about protecting our investment?" Magoha posed.

The CS called on the universities to diversify their source of income and should not expect any extra funding from the government

 "There is no more funding coming from the government, but it is already spending 25.9 per cent of the national budget on the same," he stated 

Consequently, the CSasked universities to tap into academic research funding to boost their source of funds and reduce overreliance on the national government.

The Chuka University leadership at the graduation ceremony on Friday, October 14, 2022..jpg
The Chuka University academic leadership at the graduation ceremony on Friday, October 14, 2022.
Ministry of Education