Private universities want State to pay Sh50 billion owed to them

The government owes private universities Sh50 billion as unpaid disbursement for students who have graduated from the institutions.

Kenya Association of Private Universities (Kapu) chairman Stephen Ngari says the failure to remit the amount in question for the students placed in those institutions had affected their operations for many years.

Prof Ngari, the vice chancellor of Catholic University of Eastern Africa, says the amount had accumulated since the government placed students in their institution over 10 years ago.

Speaking in Mombasa after a four-day meeting of the vice chancellors of all private universities, Ngari said the institutions did not send away the students despite the government’s failure to disburse the money.

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“Most of them have graduated and are working,” said Ngari.

He was accompanied by KAPU members, including Henry Kiplagat, (Vice Chancellor, Kabarak University) Joakim Osur (VC, Amref University) and Washington Okeyo (VC, Management University of Africa).

The dons appealed to the government to release the money to enable them continue offering quality education.

Ngari said private universities appreciated the collaboration with the government in developing human capital and the approval of bridging programmes for the students who have not made the C+ threshold of joining the universities, saying it will help many students improve their grades and join university.

Prof Kiplagat said private universities were facing various challenges and appealed to the government to release the outstanding money to the institutions.

“We are trying our best to mobilise the resources to continue offering quality education,” said Kiplagat.

During the meeting, the members also discussed preparation for the smooth transition of first CBC cohort to university.

“We also discussed the status of preparedness for CBC,” he said.