Confusion has engulfed thousands of first-year university students and their families following delays in the implementation of government-announced tuition fee reductions. Despite assurances from the Ministry of Education that fees would drop by between 15 and 40 percent, many institutions are yet to reflect the changes in their official structures, leaving new students uncertain about the actual amounts they are required to pay.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Migos Ogamba confirmed that the ministry had already shared the necessary data with universities, but said some institutions were still in the process of updating their systems. “On Friday the data got ready. Universities are now feeding that data, and in a number of institutions the process has not been completed. That is where we are having confusion, with students saying they cannot yet see the changes,” Ogamba explained.
The delays have left families stranded as admissions begin this week. Twenty-year-old Collins Barare from Isecha, Kitutu Chache North in Kisii County, has been admitted to Tom Mboya University to pursue a Bachelor of Education degree. However, his family remains uncertain about the final tuition cost. “I applied for HELB and a scholarship and was told my applications were successful, but I don’t know how much I’ve been allocated. Even the bands are not clear. Right now, I don’t know if I will be able to join,” Barare lamented.
His mother, Naomi Kwamboka, voiced her frustration, saying she has had to make tough financial sacrifices. “We don’t know how much we are supposed to pay, and even if we did, I don’t have the money. I already sent my other child to Nairobi to work as a maid so she can help pay school fees,” she said.
Continuing students are also affected, with some reporting no changes to their portals while others, like Kennedy Owino at Kisii University, confirmed receiving reductions. Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, meanwhile, has told students it will not issue updated fee structures until the government confirms allocations.
CS Ogamba reassured learners that no deserving student would be left behind, adding that a five-week window had been created for appeals to address errors in allocations.
