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"id": 1490070,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490070/?format=api",
"text_counter": 58,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tinderet, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Julius Melly",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you. I have two responses, but I will start with the response on Moi University, which we had deferred in the morning because of an inadequate response from the Ministry. I also want to thank Hon. Wamboka and the Members of this House who showed much interest in the problems facing Moi University. As we speak today, it is affecting thousands of students, lecturers, and members of the public who, in one way or another, depend on the university. The Statement I have here details the background under which these problems started and their genesis. It goes on to explain how the problems came up, what the university is doing in the long-term, and what the Government is doing. More importantly, it shows what they are doing to ensure the university re-opens. You will allow me to take some time to give a detailed response because this is of national importance. Moi University has been facing difficulties meeting its wage bill and other operational obligations over the years. The university's wage bill has continued to increase. It is currently at 88 per cent of total revenue as opposed to 35 per cent in most institutions. The challenges facing the university link to historical issues of ever expansion. Between early 1991 and 2024, the university suffered the loss of its critical infrastructure, assets and financial resources by establishing over nine fully-fledged universities. These include, among others, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, University of Eldoret, Karatina Univeristy, Univeristy of Kabianga, Masaai Mara University, Alupe University, and currently one constituent college that is in Bomet. It is noteworthy that, in 1988, Moi University established the privately sponsored students' programme. It eventually grew, and the privately sponsored students' programme was supposed to serve the following reasons: 1. The growing demand for higher education. 2. Limited admission capacities for Government-sponsored students. 3. The need to accommodate students who had failed to secure university placements. This is what happened across all other universities. That is what the privately sponsored students’ programme was supposed to do. Hon. Temporary Speaker, because of this, the university established satellite campuses across the country. We had what we call the Matiang’i effect in 2014 or 2015. The Government reined in on students who cheated in high schools. Therefore, there was a drop in the number of students going to universities. There was a decline in the number of students who passed the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). This resulted in changes in the university admission policy by the Government. There was a decline in the admission of self-sponsored students, as shown in the table. This led to reduced income and the eventual closure of a number of campuses and teaching centres in Nakuru, Kericho, Kitale, Odera Akang’o, Mogotio, Marigat and others. Staff from all these campuses and some from the constituent colleges that became fully- fledged universities were retained at Moi University. This was the misnomer that affected it. As much as the campuses were supposed to close down with the staff, they offloaded them to the main campus. This means that they have a lot of staff on their payroll. There is a table here showing that in the academic year 2014/2015, the student population at the university was 37,125. In the academic year 2023/2024, we have 19,460 Government-sponsored students and 1,097 self-sponsored students. The population now stands at 20,557. The reduction in student numbers from over 20,000 privately sponsored students to 1,097 in the academic year 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."
}