Education CS EZEKIEL MACHOGU tries to redeem himself as he increases HELB and University funding by Sh50 billion even after threatening to do the opposite.

 Wednesday, November 9, 2022 – The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has received a shot in the arm after Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu increased its funding.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, November 8, Machogu announced that the state had already approved Ksh15.8 billion for the institution.

That’s an increase from the previous budget of Ksh15.2 billion the board received during the 2021/2022 financial year.

Machogu further revealed that Ksh50 billion had already been set aside to fund public universities and promised that the two kitties would not be subjected to austerity measures being implemented across government departments.

“The Government has allocated a capitation of Ksh50 billion for university education and another Ksh15 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board. I want to assure our Universities that nobody is interfering with that money – even the cost-cutting measures with other sectors of the economy.

“Our universities, relax and rest assured that the Government will continue to fund our universities but we are also asking that if there are other ways we can generate income for our universities, why not,” he stated.

The sentiments were a departure from his earlier stance where he reportedly advocated for the exchequer to stop funding universities which caused a public uproar.

Instead, he claimed that the institutions should figure out ways to raise their own revenue through research among other activities.

In his latest press briefing, however, the CS distanced himself from the utterances.