Private universities in Kenya have decried the delayed disbursement of capitation funds. This has made them call upon the government to clear funds owed to the institutions. “Clearly, the problem has glaringly affected the operations of the universities,” explained Robert Lang’at, the Vice Chancellor of Highland University.
And speaking during the graduation ceremony, Lang’ata said the government owes Highland University alone more than Ksh600 million. He decried the sharp reduction in capitation from Ksh70,000 per student to just Ksh 15,000 and with fears that it might drop further to Ksh8,000 this year. It is a problem he attributed to the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, which he says increased financial strain on the universities.
Some of the challenges he said faced private universities were liquidity problems, inadequate infrastructure, limited human resources, low research output, low donor support, and over-regulation by the government. He accused the government for sidelining the private universities in funding arrangements, noting this had stifled growth for these institutions.
The Bishop Lang’at of the Africa Gospel church also said they wanted the government to settle urgently the dues owed to private universities, noting what they had requested was not a favor but their right, adding that government must pay for the training by the private universities over the years.
Lang’at’s call comes at the backdrop of a growing discontent among private universities over the nagging challenge of keeping their operations afloat.