Public universities in Kenya are facing serious financial pressure as their total debts rise to more than Ksh.100 billion, raising concern about the future of some institutions.
The situation was revealed in Parliament as the Ministry of Education sought additional funding to help keep operations running.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala told members of Parliament that the growing debts are putting universities under strain.
She explained that the financial challenges are affecting the ability of institutions to run smoothly and support students and staff.
The ministry is now seeking Parliament’s approval for a supplementary budget of Ksh.14.36 billion to help address some of the urgent needs in the sector.
Officials from the state department for higher education appeared before the National Assembly Education Committee and presented details showing a major funding gap that could affect thousands of students across the country.
According to the ministry, at least Ksh.14.3 billion is needed in the short term to help bridge the gap until the next financial year. A large part of the challenge involves the Higher Education Loans Board, which is facing a total budget deficit of Ksh.43.6 billion for the current and upcoming financial years.
Because of this shortage, more than 450,000 students have been unable to access financial support.
The government also needs nearly Ksh.4 billion to settle arrears linked to lecturers’ collective bargaining agreements.
These payments are important to maintain agreements with university staff and avoid disruptions in learning.
Members of the education committee, however, raised concerns about the rising pending bills in universities.
As of the end of last year, public universities alone owed close to Ksh.100 billion, while debts in private universities have also increased significantly.
Education Committee Chair Julius Melly questioned some of the figures presented by the ministry, saying the information provided appeared inconsistent with what other stakeholders had reported.
He urged the ministry to present clear and accurate data so that Parliament can help resolve the problem.
Several universities carry the largest share of the debts. Egerton University leads with about Ksh.25.5 billion in pending bills, followed by the University of Nairobi with Ksh.17 billion, Kenyatta University with Ksh.12.8 billion, and Moi University with Ksh.10.4 billion.
MPs also raised questions about stalled development projects in several universities, including those in Nairobi, Moi, Egerton, and Laikipia. They criticized the continued funding of new projects while others remain unfinished and key student support programs such as loans and scholarships face shortages.
The Education Committee is expected to continue reviewing the ministry’s budget request as the government considers how to address the financial challenges facing higher education.
