NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo has cast doubt on the government’s promise to fully fund university education for all students placed through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), questioning whether the pledge is a genuine policy shift or an election-driven promise.
In a strongly worded statement, Odhiambo said the announcement, coming months before the next General Election, raises legitimate concerns about its timing and financial viability.
“The promise that university will now be free for all sounds like progress, but when it comes months to an election, after years of complaints about a broken funding model, Kenyans are entitled to ask: Is this policy or politics?” she said.
Odhiambo argued that public universities have struggled financially for years, with many operating under severe budget deficits, while students have faced mounting challenges accessing higher education due to funding constraints.
According to her, the student-centred funding model introduced by the government has left many families choosing courses based on affordability rather than academic qualifications, while institutions continue to grapple with shrinking resources.
She further noted that several public universities are already facing financial distress and questioned how the government intends to finance universal funding without first addressing existing shortcomings.
“If the State could not sustainably fund the existing model, how does it suddenly find resources to fully fund every KUCCPS-placed student without a clear legal framework, costed plan and honest conversation about trade-offs in health, housing and other services?” she posed.
Odhiambo maintained that any commitment to free university education should be backed by legislation, transparent budgetary allocations and a clear financing framework rather than political declarations.
She called for detailed costings to be tabled before Parliament and urged the government to enact a credible financing law that would guarantee sustainable funding for higher education.
The former LSK president also warned that implementing such a policy without adequate planning could worsen the financial crisis facing public universities and widen inequalities between students enrolled in public and private institutions.
“I stand with students, parents, lecturers and workers who want real reform, not last-minute promises,” she said.
Odhiambo added that while free, quality university education is a worthy national goal, it should be implemented through a transparent and sustainable process.
“Free, quality university education is a legitimate aspiration, but it must be built openly, sustainably and with citizens at the centre, not announced from a rally podium as a political surprise. Kenyans deserve more than applause lines; they deserve a plan,” she said.
President William Ruto recently announced that all students admitted to public universities through KUCCPS would receive full government funding, signalling a major shift from the controversial student-centred funding model that has faced sustained criticism from students, universities and education stakeholders.