Kenya’s public universities are facing their worst financial crisis yet. Once seen as strongholds of academic excellence, many of them are now drowning in debt, struggling to pay staff, and buckling under years of underfunding.
The situation has become so dire that the government has openly admitted it can no longer sustain university education at the current levels.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi recently confirmed that drastic measures are being put in place to rescue the sector. These include cutting university staff, shutting down satellite campuses, and introducing a new funding model that has already sparked serious concern among Kenyans.
The model is likely to make higher education inaccessible for thousands of students from poor families.
According to Mbadi, the government has for years failed to adequately fund universities, forcing them to run on empty while continuing to admit more students. He noted that some universities are still owed over Ksh.4 billion, money they used to educate students since 2016 without receiving proper compensation.
Despite this huge debt, Mbadi made it clear that the government is not in a position to settle it, as the country is currently grappling with a major cash crisis.
As part of the planned reforms, the Ministry of Education has been tasked with working together with public universities to come up with a financial recovery strategy.
This will include reducing administrative costs, laying off staff, outsourcing non-essential services, and selling off assets like satellite campuses to pay debts.
Mbadi insists these changes are necessary for universities to survive, but many fear they will come at a very high cost.
For university workers, the future is uncertain. Jobs are on the line, and the planned restructuring could leave many unemployed.
At the same time, poor students face a new challenge, as the government’s new funding model shifts more responsibility onto parents.
Under this system, only those who can afford to pay are likely to secure university slots, locking out many talented but needy learners.
Mbadi defended the controversial model, saying it’s the only way to keep universities from collapsing.
He argued that it’s unrealistic to continue pretending that university education can be free without actual government funding. He urged Kenyans to stop “living a lie” and support the new model for the sake of financial recovery in the sector.
However, critics have accused the government of abandoning its role and pushing the burden onto already struggling families. They argue that education is a public good that should not be treated like a business.
Stakeholders also say the government’s lack of commitment has turned once-thriving universities into hollow shells, unable to provide the quality education they were once known for.
With no clear solution in sight and reforms already underway, the future of higher education in Kenya is now hanging in the balance.
