Parents are outraged by President William Ruto’s government’s decision to cut funding for students who received a C+ on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in 2022. (KCSE).
Some parents complained yesterday that the move would prevent thousands of poor children from furthering their education.
Joyce Kemunto explained that if the support was withdrawn, her son, who had repeated Form Four to qualify for the funding, would drop out.
“I am his only surviving parent and I cannot afford to pay fees. “I beg the government to help our children so that they can come and help us in the future,” Kemunto said.
Her son, Fred Sing’a, received a C plain in the 2021 KCSE exam and was admitted to the polytechnic, but she was unable to pay his tuition fees.
Sing’a hinted that if the state goes ahead with the plan, he might consider taking the class again to qualify for the sponsorship.
Another parent objected to the move and warned the government against making a basic need a privilege of the wealthy in society.
“Education should benefit the poor as well because that is how a society is elevated,” Anthony Machoka stated.
University Fund Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Geoffrey Monari revealed that Ruto’s government did not have the resources to sponsor all 173,345 students who qualified to attend the university.
His remarks came after KUCCPS CEO Dr. Agnes Wahome urged universities to look into alternative sources of funding for students.
