By Samuel Ouma
Martha Karua, the leader of the Narc Kenya party, has urged President William Ruto’s administration to drop its contentious new university finance scheme.
Karua’s comments coincide with mounting worries about what she characterises as a methodical breakdown of Kenya’s educational system, brought on by a string of ill-conceived reforms, unfulfilled promises, and disregard for urgent educational needs.
In a statement to the press, Karua voiced her worries about the government’s new university finance model, arguing that it has been poorly handled and creates great distress for both universities and students.
She criticised the government’s response to a recent court judgment by Justice Chacha Mwita that suspended the new funding system’s implementation, claiming that it was ignoring the ruling and the severe consequences that its policies were having on students from low-income households.
She advocated for a return to the differentiated unit cost system, which would allow students to pay a reasonable amount and receive financial assistance from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and capitation money from the government.
According to Karua, the present funding strategy has left many students unsure of their financial futures and placed excessive strain on university administrations, some of whom are being threatened with retaliation or fired for raising concerns. She asked the government to have meaningful conversations with vice-chancellors and faculty leaders to resolve these challenges positively.
“The government acting like a jilted minor. It terminated funding in a way that is causing acute problems to both learners and teachers. Now it intimidates and haunts out vice chancellors who tell them the truth and show them a rational retreat,” said Karua.
Additionally, the Narc Kenya party boss said the government fails to address important issues at all educational levels, from early childhood to postsecondary institutions, endangering the future of Kenya’s children.
She claimed that by enacting reforms without sufficient infrastructure, funding, or qualified staff to implement them, the current administration is “mortgaging the future” of Kenyan students.
Karua emphasised the dire situation facing secondary education and early childhood development (ECD), pointing out a significant lack of trained teachers and poor infrastructure in schools nationwide.
She brought attention to the dire situation facing secondary education and early childhood development (ECD), pointing out a significant lack of trained teachers and poor infrastructure in schools all around the nation.
Karua warned that Ruto’s administration is pushing the education sector “to the brink of collapse,” which might have disastrous ramifications for an entire generation.
“The government of President Ruto is playing with fire in a systematic destruction of education at all levels. Through a cacophony of ill conceived reform, betrayal of election promises, contempt of court rulings, intimidation of critics as its modus operandi in public universities, disregard of CBAs it has entered with lecturers,” said Martha Karua.
