This archive report was first published on 17 July 2021.
On July 17, 2021, Kenya's Ministry of Education made a significant U-turn on university fee increments. Following a meeting with stakeholders, the Ministry suspended all university fee hike plans until further notice.
University Education Principal Secretary Simon Nabukwesi directed all institutions to shelve their fee increment plans until 2022. He also refuted reports that universities, including the University of Nairobi, had increased fees.
Nabukwesi argued that any fee hike would require the concurrence of all players, including parents. He emphasized that the Ministry did not authorize or support the University of Nairobi's fee hike plan.
"This is a lie because no one has sanctioned such a move to increase fees across the board. Whatever is happening at the University of Nairobi is internal," Nabukwesi disowned UoN's fee hike.
The Ministry's decision comes after the University of Nairobi increased fees for degree courses by up to 70%. The new fees totalled to about Ksh1 million for four years, with Communications and MBA students paying over Ksh600,000 for a two-year course.
