Saturday, September 7, 2024 - A coalition of university student leaders has temporarily halted planned demonstrations against the government’s new higher education funding model in the wake of the tragic Endarasha school fire. The suspension comes as the nation mourns the students who lost their lives in the fire.
Led by Rocha Madzao, President of the University of Nairobi
Student Association, the student leaders condemned the Ministry of Education
for failing to ensure safety in schools. “It is sad that such incidents are
still happening in this century. We mourn as comrades alongside Kenyans,” said
Rocha, expressing deep sorrow over the deaths.
While the focus of the leaders’ statements was the Endarasha
tragedy, they also took the opportunity to criticize the new university funding
model introduced by the government. Rocha stated that the new system excludes
many needy students from financial support, putting their education at risk. He
emphasized that although protests had been suspended out of respect for the
mourning period, they would resume once the country had grieved.
“We are urging those being sent home due to lack of fees to
contact us. We will liaise with their respective universities to address the
matter once and for all after the mourning period,” Rocha added.
Naomi Chebet, President of the Kenya Methodist University
Student Association, echoed Rocha’s concerns, calling for the government to
scrap the new funding model. Chebet argued that the previous system, despite
its shortcomings, was still better than the current approach, which she
described as “impractical.”
“If the old funding model was unsustainable, then the new one
is impractical,” she said. Chebet criticized the government for ignoring the
concerns of student leaders, despite multiple meetings with the Ministry of
Education and the President. She confirmed that students would resume their
protests against the new model once the mourning for the Endarasha victims
concluded.
The government’s new higher education funding model, which
classifies students into four categories—vulnerable, extremely needy, needy,
and less needy—has sparked widespread controversy. Critics, including student
leaders, argue that many deserving students are left out, particularly those
from middle-income families who struggle to afford higher education but do not
qualify for significant government assistance.
Concerns have also been raised over the implementation of the
model, with accusations of inefficiency and insufficient consultation with key
stakeholders
University Student Leaders Mourn Endarasha Tragedy, Suspend Demos Over New Funding Model Until Mourning Period Ends pic.twitter.com/HIPpPIHt7S
— DAILY POST 🇰🇪 (@dailypost_ke) September 7, 2024
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