HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1249204,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1249204/?format=api",
"text_counter": 302,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Ezekiel Machogu",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Education",
"speaker": {
"id": 13458,
"legal_name": "Ezekiel Machogu Ombaki",
"slug": "ezekiel-machogu-ombaki"
},
"content": "Before 2016, admission to public universities was determined by the available bed capacity. Due to the limited capacity in our public universities, the cut-off point for admission was increased in successful years locking out many eligible students. For example, in the year 2014/2015, 165,000 candidates had C+ and above against a capacity of only 63,740. Only 38.6 per cent accessed university education while 61.4 per cent were left out. In the following year 2015/2016, 61 per cent of those with C+ and above were also left out. In this regard, placement to private universities was used in helping to address the capacity constraints in our public universities and increasing access to university education. Consequently, in the year 2016/2017 placement cycle, for example, the percentage of students placed in universities grew to 93.46 per cent from 39.02 per cent. The preceding year, as shown in Table Q007, which I have given there, the percentage of students placed when capacity is in both public and private universities was utilised. You can see in this year’s placement that the number has actually gone up because we created room for others to get into private universities, and the number went to 93.46 per cent. In addition, private universities also play a critical role in increasing capacity for competitive and priority programmes both locally and internationally. For example, the total capacity declared for Bachelor of Nursing in the year 2022 candidature in both private and public universities was 1,520 with 555, which is 36.5 per cent, being in private universities. These 555 Kenyans who want to do Nursing would not have got a place because we do not have capacity in our public universities for this particular course because it is a technical area. We have certain private universities that offer this course. On the second part of the Question, after placement of students to universities, the University Fund determines and allocates the available funding in accordance with the Differential Unit Cost of the degree programme, commonly known as DUC. The DUC has 14 programme clusters for undergraduate degree courses. The number of Government-sponsored students enrolled in each cluster is used to determine the allocation of the available funds allocated by the National Assembly. In the Financial Year 2022/2023, a total of 89,644 Government sponsored students in private universities were funded at a cost of Ksh3,174,791,604. This translates to 18.11 per cent of the DUC. The recommended funding per student in both public and private universities is 80 per cent of the DUC. You can get the difference between 80 per cent and 18.11 per cent. The amount that was disbursed to each private university for Government-sponsored students in the Financial Year 2022/2023 is indicated in Table Q9. It indicates the amount that was disbursed to every university out of the Ksh3.2 billion that you allocated through the Ministry of Education. For the Financial Year 2023/2024, we project that 18,430 students will be completing their studies from private universities. Consequently, continuing students to be funded in private universities will be 71,214. If the amount allocated remains the same as the allocation in the Financial Year 2022/2023, then the 71,214 students will be funded at an average of 22 per cent of the DUC as opposed to 80 per cent which was the figure we had committed to as a Government. The amount that will be disbursed to each university for the continuing students will depend on the number of students to be funded in the university and the programmes they are pursuing. The most expensive course in the country is dentistry, which costs Ksh740,000 at the University of Nairobi. If the Government were to give 80 per cent of Ksh740,000, you can see how much that would be. Hon. Speaker, I wish to inform the House that in the Financial Year 2023/2024, Government scholarships and the new university funding model will not be available to students who choose to join private universities. I repeat: Government scholarships will not be available with effect from the coming financial year for students who make a choice to join private universities. Such students will, however, be eligible to apply for loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}