Plans to triple university education fees will lock out children from poor background hence widening the gap between the rich and the poor, national assembly public accounts committee chairman Opiyo Wandayi has said.
Wandayi, who is also the Ugunja Member of Parliament said the intention was ill advised and urged the government to rescind it so as to enable more children to access higher education.
He was speaking Monday at Sigomere trading centre in Ugunja Sub County while presiding over the official opening of a modern chief’s office complex for East Uholo location. The complex was funded by the national government constituency development fund.
The MP urged the government to look for other sources of revenue to fund the university and higher education in general.
“The government has mechanisms to look for money particularly by dealing with runaway corruption in the country,” he said adding “otherwise, the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen if we do not address the matter.”
He said that Kenyan children deserved equal opportunities to further their studies up to the highest level.
“I speak from the position of information as chair of the public accounts committee of the national assembly and I know areas where money is being lost every now and then,” said Wandayi.
Wandayi called on the government to also put in place mechanisms to ensure that no student will be sent home for lack of school fees as schools reopen next January.
He said that Covid-19 had taken toll on the parents and students should not suffer the consequences of its effects on the economy through expulsion for non-payment of various educational levies.
On BBI, the legislator urged IEBC not to stall the signature verification process due to alleged lack of funds.
He called on the treasury to advance the electoral body money to undertake the process and have the parliament approve the expenditure immediately after the Christmas festivities.
By Philip Onyango
