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Education CS George Magoha has brushed off alleged plans to stop the admission of government-sponsored students to private universities.
University Education PS Simon Nabukwesi had reportedly told MPs that the Ministry did not support the move.
Speaking in Parliament, Nabukwesi argued that the money sent to private universities should be channelled to the underfunded public institutions.
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PS Simon Nabukwesi
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However, CS Magoha clarified that only President Uhuru Kenyatta can reverse the directive which was enforced in 2016.
“I want to believe he was misquoted. If not, then he was speaking for himself because he is not in charge of policy. I am not aware of such plans as the Cabinet Secretary,” said Magoha.
“Our analysis has even shown that it is cheaper to admit students to private universities. It costs less than 50 per cent to send students to private universities. And they have equally level facilities,” he added.
Details reveal that since the program's inception in 2016, private institutions have received around Sh9 billion from the government.
In 2015, President Kenyatta ordered the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to place government-sponsored students to private colleges.
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Education CS George Magoha
According to the president, the decision would allow more students to enroll in courses of their preference.
Between 2015 and last year, 60,000 students were put in private institutions as a result of the presidential decree, which intended to increase access to higher education.
Private universities got a total of 28,063 government-sponsored students in this year's placement.
The number is higher than the 27,447 who joined the universities last year, according to data released by the KUCCPS.