Parliament has begun reviewing a series of education reform Bills that could lay the legal foundation for a new university funding framework following President William Ruto's proposal to make public university and college education free for eligible learners.
The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education on Wednesday, August 5, launched consultations on the proposed legislation together with the Ministry of Education. The review aims to align the reforms with existing laws, assess their financial implications and prepare the Bills for debate in the National Assembly.
The committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, met Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to examine four proposed Bills, including the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, which contains sweeping changes to the financing of universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
The review follows President Ruto's recent announcement that the government would introduce legislation to overhaul higher education financing by consolidating institutions responsible for student funding into a single body.
At the heart of the proposed reforms is the establishment of the Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA). The new authority would bring together the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Universities Fund Board and the TVET Funding Board under one institution responsible for managing student financial support.
According to the proposals, TEFA would oversee student loans, scholarships and other forms of financial assistance for learners in universities and TVET institutions. The government says the move is intended to eliminate duplication, improve efficiency and simplify the administration of higher education funding.
The proposed law also introduces a unified funding model based on means testing, where the amount of financial support a student receives would depend on factors such as household income, financial need, special needs, affirmative action considerations and the cost of the programme they are pursuing.
In addition, the Bill seeks to introduce education loans for minors admitted to tertiary institutions and outlines the procedures for loan applications, scholarship awards, fund disbursement and loan recovery, including from beneficiaries residing outside Kenya.
Another major proposal would strengthen the role of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) by making it the national placement agency for all tertiary institutions while separating student placement from funding decisions.
If passed into law, admission to universities and colleges would be determined solely by academic qualifications, merit and programme choice. Applications for loans and scholarships would then be processed independently by the proposed Tertiary Education Funding Authority.
The Education Committee also reviewed proposed amendments to the Basic Education Act, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Act and the Kenya National Educational Assessment Council Act. The changes are intended to improve governance, reduce overlapping responsibilities among institutions and streamline the handling of appeals relating to national examinations.
Members of Parliament said they will continue engaging stakeholders before finalising their recommendations to the House. The outcome of the review is expected to shape the legal framework for President Ruto's higher education reforms and determine how universities and other tertiary institutions will be funded in the years ahead.