The National Assembly’s committee on education has questioned the ministry of education officials over the implementation of the University Funding model and the state of university admissions.
In a session presided over by committee chairperson Julius Melly the committee met with Principal Secretary, State Department of Higher Education and Research, Beatrice Muganda Inyangala and the chief executive of Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, Mercy Wahome.
Others were the chief executive officer of the Universities Fund, Geoffrey Monari and Charles Ringera of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
During the session, members raised concerns about the University Funding Model’s reliance on data sources including Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and mobile network providers.
The team said that the data sources could disadvantage students from rural areas and those in informal employment sectors where formal registration is limited.
They questioned the accuracy of the data collected for the funding model, particularly for students in rural areas with limited access to formal employment and social programs.
“Does this funding model take into account people who do not have NHIF or KRA or even National Identity Cards? A number of people in rural areas do not have these documents,” Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera said.
Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara sought to know if the variables used by the ministry through the model are verifiable.
PS, Inyangala argued that through the new funding model, students are assessed and placed in financial aid bands that determine the percentage of their university fees covered by scholarships, loans provided by HELB, and household contributions.
Ringera on the other hand told the committee that multiple data sources are used to verify applicant information and in the funding model, including the KRA, National Integrated Population Registry Service (NIPRS), HELB, and National Employment Authority (NEA).
Members, however, pointed out that in the past parents had received university admission letters without a clear breakdown of Government scholarships, HELB and their contribution as per the funding model.
“The University admission letters with huge figures are causing panic in parents and students,” Melly, who is also the Tinderet MP, said.
