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University students in a group discussion.
Students joining higher institutions of learning are staring at higher school fees after the Budget and Appropriations Committee proposed the reduction of the funding budget.
In the Report on the Consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the 2024/25 Financial Year released on Thursday, the budget for the Universities Funding Board shall be slashed.
The report prepared by the by the Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro-led committee, proposed that Ksh5.2 billion should be reduced from the board’s budget.
“Reduce Ksh5.2 billion (recurrent) from University Funding Board – students joining various universities in September 2024,” reads part of the report.
Due to the slashed budget, universities may be forced to increase school fees which will affect a majority of students. This would see more students failing to join universities.
Notably, the board is mandated to apportion funds to universities in accordance with the criteria established, it also mobilises and receives funds for funding from government, donors and other sources.
This proposal comes at a time when the new university funding model was introduced to ensure students on all categories get funding to join univeristies, colleges and TVETs.
However, the funding model has faced challenges barely a year since it was operationalised. Last Tuesday, complaints were raised before Members of Parliament that thousands of students had opted out of university due to  lack of proper facilitation arising from hiccups associated with the new model.
The hurdles forced the Education Committee to order universities to recall university admission letters arguing that there were anomalies in the fee structure despite the new model.
In the same vein, the MPs in the report proposed the reduction of the Commission for University Education (CUE) budget by Ksh40 million.
In other education matters, the committee suggested the reduction of the Open University of Kenya’s budget by Ksh200 million. It also suggested reduction of Kss90 million development budget from infrastructure support.
Further, the committee recommended the reduction of Ksh12.6 million development budget from public participation projects and Ksh30 million budget earmarked for building of hostels.
“Increase Ksh6 billion (recurrent) for public universities to support continuing students who are funded under the old funding model of Differentiated Unit Cost,” read part  of the report.
The entrance to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) main campus in Juja, Kiambu County