Kenya’s public universities are grappling with a deepening financial crisis, with pending bills now amounting to a staggering Ksh.72.2 billion. The University of Nairobi (UoN) leads the list with a debt burden of Ksh.13.2 billion, followed closely by the Technical University of Kenya (Ksh.11.1 billion), Kenyatta University (Ksh.10.6 billion), and Egerton University (Ksh.10.1 billion).
This financial strain has drawn sharp concern from the National Assembly’s Education Committee, which is now demanding urgent interventions. Committee chairperson Julius Melly questioned whether universities have effective strategies to manage and clear these pending bills. “What is each and every university having to ensure that they take care of the pending bill?” he asked during a parliamentary session.
In response, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok appealed to MPs to ensure the sector receives adequate funding. “That is why we are here pleading with you to ensure that we get the right budget,” he said.
The crisis goes beyond operational debts. Lawmakers also flagged misaligned budget allocations, particularly the diversion of funds to new capital projects while existing ones—many over 70% complete—remain underfunded. Teso South MP Mary Emase raised concern over this prioritization, stating, “We need to know—why can’t we just finish the old projects first so that we can start working on new ones? Because at this rate, we cannot finish projects.”
Further scrutiny has been directed at the budget disbursement process after it emerged that some institutions, such as the University of Eldoret and the Open University of Kenya, received more funds than they requested in the latest Budget Policy Statement.
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) is also under financial pressure. It has been allocated Ksh.41.1 billion for student loans against a requirement of Ksh.76.3 billion, leaving a shortfall of Ksh.35.1 billion. This gap threatens to jeopardize access to education for thousands of needy students.
As the financial burden continues to mount, stakeholders are urging the Treasury and Parliament to act swiftly to avert a full-blown collapse of Kenya’s higher education system.
