Wed Sep 25 04:10:41 UTC 2024: ## Students Risk Missing Exams Due to Funding Model Fiasco
**Nairobi, Kenya** – A crisis is brewing in Kenya’s higher education system as over 50,000 first-year university students are at risk of missing their end-of-semester exams due to unpaid tuition fees. This comes despite the government’s new funding model aimed at supporting students.
The issue came to light during a parliamentary committee meeting where Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba appeared to address concerns about the implementation of the new funding model.
Parliamentarians expressed deep disappointment with the model, citing its failure to adequately address the financial needs of students. They pointed to the fact that nearly half of the students placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) have been incorrectly categorized, leading to inadequate funding.
The committee has instructed the CS to issue a circular directing universities to allow students to sit their examinations regardless of their financial status until the funding model is rectified.
“These MTIs you are using are not giving us the right answers. We have had six meetings with the PS and those in this sector where they have taken us through the various variables and validators but we have not gotten any answers,” lamented committee chair Julius Melly.
Adding fuel to the fire, MPs called for an immediate overhaul of the model, with some even proposing its suspension to allow for thorough scrutiny. The new model has faced criticism from students and their families since its inception last year.
The model, designed to categorize students into five bands based on their financial needs, has been heavily criticized for its complicated nature and lack of transparency.
“The concerns received from students is that you are not ready to deal with this model and are forcing the funding model down their throat. What are you doing as a ministry to correct this?” questioned Nyamira Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi.
Mr. Ogamba acknowledged the Ministry’s shortcomings in effectively communicating the model’s workings, blaming misinformation for the public backlash. However, the CS pledged to address the concerns and ensure a more transparent process moving forward.
The recent unrest in the education sector, including strikes by lecturers and students, highlights the pressing need for a swift resolution to the funding model crisis.
The future of Kenyan higher education hangs in the balance as students and policymakers grapple with the consequences of a flawed funding system.
First Piper 