Government imposes a maximum cap on university tuition fees at 75,000 Kenyan Shillings as part of its educational reforms.
Affordable University Education and the Creative Economy: Kenya's Higher Education Reforms
In a significant move towards making university education more accessible, the Higher Education Principal Secretary, Beatrice Inyangala, has announced sweeping reforms aimed at reducing university fees and fostering the creative economy.
Starting September 1, 2025, university fees across all academic programmes in public universities and constituent colleges will see a significant reduction, benefiting both new and continuing students. Under the new fee structure, universities will charge fees ranging between Sh6,000 and Sh75,000, with an average of Sh30,000. The maximum fee any university student will pay is capped at 75,000 Kenyan shillings per year to enhance affordability.
To ensure financial sustainability, the reforms introduce a Student-Centred Funding Model. This model shares tuition costs through a combination of government scholarships, student loans, and modest family contributions based on financial need. The government will continue supporting students through scholarships and loans tailored to individual needs.
Universities have been directed to revise their admissions and finance portals immediately to reflect the new fee structure, ensuring transparency and ease of access. However, there has been some transitional confusion among first-year students regarding upfront payments, as universities adjust to the new fee schedules and await disbursement of loans from the Higher Education Loans Board.
The reforms are a response to concerns raised by young people during nationwide consultations, addressing the rising financial burden on learners and their families. Inyangala emphasized that the reforms aim not only to make higher education more accessible and affordable but also to maintain the financial sustainability of universities, which is critical for quality education.
Beyond affordability, the reforms contribute to transforming higher education into a pillar of national development, including promoting the creative economy. The Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum encourages learners to identify and develop talents in drama, music, visual arts, and writing for careers in creative industries. Inyangala linked the CBE system to the Kenya Music Festival, emphasizing the importance of creative and entrepreneurial skills in the 21st-century economy.
Inyangala urged young people to take advantage of opportunities in the creative economy, stating that while the formal job market has limited capacity, the creative sector offers unlimited potential. The PS believes that events like the drama and music festival offer a perfect platform for engagement between young people and the government. Inyangala used the Kenya Music Festival in Meru to call for unity when the nation feels under strain, praising the creativity and cultural pride of young performers as "a generation fearless in creativity, bold in expression, and deeply connected to culture."
However, the Principal Secretary did not provide any information about how these reforms will be implemented or when they will take effect. Inyangala believes that CBE aligns perfectly with the values of the Kenya Music Festival, stating that music and performance can tell the story of climate change in a way data alone cannot, and can speak against gender-based violence more powerfully than policy documents.
In summary, Beatrice Inyangala’s reforms introduce a capped, reduced fee structure starting September 2025, underpinned by a Student-Centred Funding Model combining tuition, loans, and scholarships. This is designed to ease financial burdens while sustaining quality education and supporting Kenya’s creative and economic growth goals. The reforms also aim to transform higher education into a pillar of national development, promoting the creative economy by broadening access and empowering a more inclusive talent base aligned with national priorities.
- The decline in university fees, as part of the reforms, will open opportunities in the creative economy, encouraging students to develop talents in areas like drama, music, visual arts, and writing.
- To complement the affordable university education, the new reforms focus on the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, enabling learners to harness their creative and entrepreneurial skills for careers in creative industries.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation, the reforms also address climate change by recognizing the potential of the creative sector to tell stories and speak out against issues like gender-based violence more effectively than mere documents.
- The epaper reported that the reforms, while aiming to lower financial burdens, also emphasize the financial sustainability of universities, essential for maintaining quality education and fostering economic growth.
- New policies in education-and-self-development, such as online-learning and blended learning, might be part of the future strategies for ensuring affordable education in Kenya, reaching more learners and addressing the challenges posed by general-news events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
