The reason KMTC students will experience an extended delay in receiving direct benefits from HELB.
Julius Ogamba, the Education Cabinet Secretary, expressed to the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Education and Health that although the ministry is inclined to assist all students in higher education establishments, the existing regulations do not allow for such flexibility.
Mr. Ogamba informed the legislators that government institutions create their budgets in collaboration with their respective line ministries. For example, he explained that HELB drafts its budget in coordination with the Ministry of Education, and KMTC does the same with the Ministry of Health.
Mr. Ogamba informed Members of Parliament that it is crucial to note that certain higher education institutions, such as KMTC, operate independently of the Ministry of Education. This situation has significant implications for the budgeting procedure carried out by the National Assembly.
The education CS pointed out that due to the sector-based line-Ministry budgeting process, HELB lacks the necessary resources to assist tertiary education and training institutions that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.
Mr. Ogamba informed the joint committee that the ultimate budget provided to HELB from the exchequer is typically allocated for a specific number of students in universities and other educational institutions overseen by the Ministry of Education.
Mr. Ogamba stated that numerous tertiary education and training institutions that fall under entities other than the Ministry of Education are not receiving funding due to inadequate budget allocation from HELB.
The CS informed the joint committee that funds allocated from the treasury for institutions within its jurisdiction are designated for a specific student enrollment threshold.
Ogamba further noted that the current resources available to HELB, amounting to a shortfall of Sh19.7B, have been allocated for a specific group of students in universities and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Documents presented to the combined committee show that for the fiscal year 2024/25, the ministry sought a loan of Sh1,394,443,131 for the 122,634 students in the KCSE 2023 cohort. However, it only received Sh13,768,404,874, resulting in a shortfall of Sh12,373,961,743.
Additionally, the ministry faced a shortfall of Sh7,298,179,901 in the same Fiscal Year to provide assistance to students who took the KCSE exams in 2023 and enrolled in different Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs.
Mr. Ogamba stated that various higher education and training institutions not under the Ministry of Education are lacking financial support due to insufficient funding from HELB.
The Chief Secretary informed the collaborative committee that the ministry is fully prepared to assist students in all tertiary institutions outside its jurisdiction, provided that it receives sufficient resources.
“The Ministry of Education and HELB are prepared to collaborate with various stakeholders in order to secure funding for students in tertiary education institutions. This endeavor will necessitate allocating additional budgets to HELB, thus prompting a request for support from the respective departmental committees to ensure this backing,” stated Mr. Ogamba.
Despite facing limitations in their budget, Mr. Ogamba informed members of parliament that HELB has collaborated with a range of institutions outside of the ministry to offer financial assistance to students. This assistance is made possible by resources allocated to these institutions in their respective budgets.
Mr. Ogamba cited an example with KMTC, stating that HELB has allocated a substantial amount of Sh1.2 Billion for the financial years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. This financial support was facilitated by resources allocated by the Ministry of Health.
The CS elaborated to the committee that from 2014 to 2019, HELB issued loans totaling Sh468 million to students at KMTC. This financial support was made possible through aid received from USAID, an entity that has since been dissolved under the current administration led by President Donald Trump.
Balambala MP Abdi Shurie recently brought to light the issue of the exclusion of KMTC students from accessing the fund, asserting that it amounted to discrimination against these particular students within KMTC institutions.
He inquired about the reason behind the exclusion of KMTC students from receiving HELB support, despite students from other public institutions being eligible beneficiaries.
Upon its establishment, HELB initially focused on providing financial assistance exclusively to university students. However, with the implementation of the TVET Act of 2013, the organization expanded its scope to include funding for TVET trainees enrolled in a diverse range of institutions under the purview of the Ministry of Education.
