The 2024 Economic Survey which was released yesterday by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), shows that there has been a decrease in the number of students enrolled in private varsities. The total number dropped from 112,287 to 96,640 this year – representing a decline rate of 14.1 per cent. It should be noted that the government included private universities in its sponsored students to cater for an increase of students qualifying for varsity slots while there were limited places in public higher learning institutions.
The survey also indicated a 7.1 per cent rise in the number of students that have enrolled in public universities denoting a rise from 482,586 to 450,638. The drop could be attributed to recent utterances from the Education CS Ezekiel Machogu, who indicated that the Kenya University and College Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will not place state-sponsored students into private institutions.
Machogu made the statement while speaking to the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education: “This year, all our students will go to public universities unless you as a parent want your child taken away by a private institution”, Machogu commended.
The CS stated that no government grants will be given to private universities, an indication that indeed the government was doing away with private university enrollment. He also affirmed that it was now a policy that only public universities can receive grants from the government.
The move by Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka, who introduced the Universities (Amendment) (No3), Bill of 2023, started a process that withholds substantial State funding from private colleges.