President William Ruto has gazetted a committee to review the new university funding model which has been the subject of controversy among students, parents, and education stakeholders.

Ruto announced the establishment of the National Working Committee on Review of the New University Education Funding Model in a Kenya Gazette notice on Monday.

The committee shall comprise four sub-committees; one to handle the review and refinement of the new funding model for universities and technical, vocational education and training institutions (TVETs) and another to deal with appeals arising from the categorisation of students into various eligibility bands.

The third sub-committee will review the structure of student loans while the fourth will review the cost of university academic programmes.

“The chairpersons and co-chairpersons of the workstreams (sub-committees) shall constitute the coordination Board of the Committee for the New University Education Funding Model, as follows: Japheth Micheni Ntiba – chairperson; members: chairpersons and co-Chairpersons of the four workstreams; joint secretaries: lead joint secretaries from the four workstreams,” said President Ruto.

The first sub-committee will be chaired by Karuti Kanyinga, with Dibora Zainab Hirbo as co-chair and it has 30 members; the second 25-member team will be chaired by Walubengo Waningilo and have Lucy Machugu as the co-chair.

Meanwhile, Robert Oduor Otieno and Aron Kiprotich Bett have been appointed as chair and co-chair respectively of the sub-committee handling structure of student loans, which has 18 members, while the fourth workstream will be chaired by Mohamed S. Rajab and Patrick Malanga as co-chair. It has 31 members.

Each sub-committee has two joint secretaries and a two-member secretariat.

“The National Committee will serve for a period of eight weeks with effect from the date hereof, or for such longer period as may be specified by notice in the Gazette,” added Ruto.

University students threatened to strike over the new funding model, terming it disadvantageous and likely to lock many out from acquiring higher education. 

The new model delinks student placement with funding, thus requiring students to submit applications to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and Universities Fund (UF) for loans and scholarships, respectively. 

Funding of students now combines scholarships, loans and household contributions on a graduated scale 'scientifically determined' by a so-called means-testing instrument. The method assesses eligible students into five bands.

President Ruto has been drumming up support for the model saying that eligible students will get between Ksh.40,000 and Ksh.60,000 in upkeep based on their financial needs.

For instance, the neediest students will be placed in band one to access a 70 per cent scholarship, 25 per cent loan, 5 per cent household contribution and Ksh.60,000 for upkeep.

But the model has been marred with concerns of students being placed in incorrect bands and criticism of the effectiveness of the 'means testing instrument'.

Additionally, the new model demands that only those placed in public universities by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) are eligible for scholarships and loans, while those in private entities only qualify for HELB loans.