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"speaker_name": "Hon. Ezekiel Machogu",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Education",
"speaker": {
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"legal_name": "Ezekiel Machogu Ombaki",
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"content": "I am happy to report to this House that one problem we have encountered as a country is on higher education. This is because the criteria we used was known as the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) where the Government of Kenya was supposed to support every programme at a cost of 80 per cent. For the last five years, Members, you are aware that the amount you allocate to our universities has not managed to cater for the 80 per cent as required and as provided for in that policy. Like in this financial year, the total amount that we have been able to give to our public universities is 48.1 per cent. As we are here, considering the recommendation we have got from the Presidential Working Party, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya is unveiling a new funding model to our public universities. It will guarantee sustainability of our universities. It will also give accessibility to our universities as well as ensure that those who come from poor families are well taken care of considering the funding model we have come up with. I think His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya is announcing it as we are here. There is a capitation of Ksh185,000,000 per month to Egerton University. Their salaries alone take Ksh221,000,000 every month. You can see that they are working on a deficit every month. Apart from working on their funding model, we are also working on governance and management matters. This is because the other problem ailing our universities relates to governance and management matters. Hon. Speaker, we are doing our best to ensure that we undertake a qualitative process in the appointment of the university council to make sure we get men and women who can manage our universities in a better way. We hope that with the new funding model that is being unveiled today by the His Excellency the President, Egerton and other universities will overcome the problems they have. The 2012 Act had a loophole and as a Ministry we have made a recommendation to this House. As we know, since 2017 part of the funding has been going to our private universities. We have sent amendments, which I hope you will make as a House. As for Chuka University, I want to assure the Member that we are appointing the council. We have Public Service Commissioners who have already appointed a Vice- Chancellor. Once we have a council in place, in two weeks’ time you will know your Vice- Chancellor and your Council Members. Finally, the good news for this country is that we are starting a National Open University. All the processes have been undertaken by the Commission for University Education as provided under Section 24 of the University Act. It is categorized as a specialized university and we request Hon Members to give approval because when you look at the neighbouring countries like Tanzania, South Africa and almost every other country, they have open universities which have a lot of advantages concerning the quality and access to education. We, therefore, request for that approval. I thank you, Hon. Speaker"
}