The government is not planning to privatize public universities in the country now or in the near future, Education Cabinet Secretary Mr Ezekiel Machogu said today.
Mr Machogu said public universities were integral part of government key institutions that are meant to benefit all Kenyans and statements to the effect that the government was planning to privatize them are unfounded.
The CS who read President Dr. William Ruto speech during the University of Kabianga 10-year anniversary celebration endowment fundraising which was held at the University graduation grounds in Kericho reiterated that the government will never contemplate to privatize public universities in the country.
“At no one time have we sat in the education ministry or in any other governance level to discuss privatization of public universities in this country and those peddling the lies were people who have nothing good for this country or do not know anything about education in this country,” CS Machogu stated.
The Education CS at the same time told university students, parents and management of public universities that school fees in the institutions of higher learning had not been hiked.
CS Machogu said that there are no plans to increase university school fees in public universities.
“As government we have no plans to increase tuition or school fees in the public universities nor have we discussed to increase university school fees in the education ministry,” Mr Machogu said.
On the Competency Based Curriculum, (CBC), the Education CS said that the government had distributed 17,800,000 text books to all public schools where the Junior Secondary School JSS Learning is ongoing.
The CS said that each child in JSS would receive Sh. 15,042 as capitation fee from government.
Mr. Machogu added that 40 percent of extra learning tuition blocks and laboratories will be built by government while 60 percent will be constructed through National Government Constituency Development Funds. NGCDF.
Others present during the function were Kericho Governor Dr. Erick Mutai, the University of Kabianga Vice Chancellor Prof Wilson Kipngeno, the chairman of University Council Dr. Adelaide M Mbithi, University students and people of all walks of life.
By Dominic Cheres
