Varsity union wants more research cash

Lecturers have called for more government funding for public universities.

Universities Academic Staff Union organising secretary Edebe Musalia says what they get is not enough for research.

“We find that the allocations are not sufficient given that most of them go towards recurrent expenditure,” Dr Musalia said. He said the government should allocate more funds to infrastructure and research if it hopes to realise Vision 2030.

A senior Education ministry official agreed that more funding was needed for university education.

This financial year, out of the Sh34 billion allocated to the 22 public universities and nine colleges, Sh30.2 billion will go to recurrent expenditure while Sh3.8 billion will be used for development.

University of Nairobi has been allocated the lion’s share. It has 18,692 students and will receive Sh5.8 billion.

Despite having the highest number of learners, 22,072, Moi University has been allocated Sh3.7 billion.

Kenyatta University, with 19,242, has been allocated Sh3.7 billion, while Multimedia University will get the least amount, Sh561 million. It has 957 students.

A vice-chancellor, who declined to be named, on Tuesday protested at the formula used to allocate the funds. He said it was unfair as it was difficult to explain a university with the same number of students, others with less, getting different allocations.

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, with 7,302 students, has been allocated Sh3.4 billion, while Maseno University, with almost the same number, at 7,236, has been allocated Sh1.5 billion.

The University of Eldoret with 9,144 students has been allocated Sh1.2 billion, while Egerton University, with a student population of 10,150, has been allocated Sh2.8 billion.

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, which has 5,808 students, will receive Sh1.8 billion while Dedan Kimathi University with 3,360 students will get Sh632 million.

Chuka University, with 5,217 students, will get Sh666 million, Technical University of Kenya, with 5,742, was given Sh1.2 billion and Technical University of Mombasa, with 2,132 students, will get Sh852 million.

Pwani University has been allocated Sh601 million, Kisii Sh636 million, Maasai Mara Sh811 million, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sh658 million and South Eastern Kenya University Sh691 million.

Meru University will receive Sh626 million, Laikipia Sh675 million, Karatina Sh725 million and Kabianga Sh625 million.