 |
| The State Department of Higher Education Principal Secretary Betreace Nyangala |
Thousands of prospective students might not take up their places in the local universities due to a lack of government funding. Principal Secretary for the State Department for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala officiating at a past function. The State Department of Higher Education Principal Secretary Betreace Nyangala explained that the Ministry was grappling with funds shortfall in the 2024/25 fiscal year. The government will lack KSh 48 billion to actuate the loans and grants for the first year and continuing students, Citizen TV reported. A total of KSh 130 billion in the 2024/25 financial year would suffice for the students to get funding, but only KSh 84 billion was remitted ahead of the students njoining the university. However, Inyangala assured that the funds would be availed in the course of the students’ stay in their respective institutions as the Ministry relied on the taxman to remit the monies after the collection of taxes. “The budget is usually availed as money is collected. Currently, we have enough resources to cover the students right from the first to the final year through the first semester,” she said. She noted that over 80% of the students placed in the universities would rely on government funding, hence the need of an enhanced budget.
by Kai Eli
