Relief for parents, students as Ruto reduces university fees

Public universities have begun implementing a revised fee structure after President William Ruto’s administration slashed tuition charges to what could be the lowest levels in 25 years.

The Star has established that institutions across the country have significantly reduced fees for both first-year and continuing students, with some programmes recording cuts of more than 70 per cent.

The sweeping changes follow a government directive issued in July, after months of public outcry from parents and students over what many described as unsustainable university fees.

The directive took effect on September 1, coinciding with the start of the new academic year.

A spot check by the Star confirmed the reductions, which have brought substantial relief to students and families struggling with the rising cost of education.

For Ruto, the move could become a powerful campaign talking point, coming just months after his administration faced virulent criticism over the sharp rise in university fees.

For many households, the cuts represent not only financial reprieve but also a decisive policy shift in higher education financing.

“We had to wait for the fee structure for more than a week. Many of us got worried and lamented about the confusion. When it eventually came, we initially thought it was too good to be true,” a parent of a student at Egerton University told the Star.

Among the universities that are already issuing the revised fee structure are the University of Nairobi, Moi, Egerton and Maseno universities.

Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, University of Eldoret and Masinde Muliro University are also implementing the changes.

At Moi University, the fee structure in the School of Education, released by the management on August 25, reduced the fee by over 70 per cent for the government-sponsored students.

The fee structure is for fourth-year students.

The fee was reduced from Sh33,750 to Sh8,000 per semester, a reduction of 76 per cent.

“This fee is subject to revision at the sole discretion of the university,” the notice states. 

At Maseno University, first-year government-sponsored students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology with IT are now paying Sh14,000 per semester, down from over Sh30,000—a reduction of more than 50 per cent.

At the University of Nairobi, first-year students in courses such as Data Science and Journalism now pay Sh17,538 per semester, compared to Sh46,520 previously.

The institution has also slashed accommodation fees from as high as Sh56,000 per academic year to as low as Sh20,000.

The relief extends beyond government-sponsored students.

At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University, parallel students pursuing Business Administration are now paying around Sh30,000 per semester, down from about Sh65,000.

A first-year student at the University of Eldoret, who is a partial orphan and pursuing special education told the Star she was required to pay only Sh5,400 for the semester.

Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala said the rollout has been largely smooth.

“Fees have actually come down. Students are now paying slightly above Sh5,000, and the most they are paying is Sh75,000 per semester,” she said.

“As of last week, over 30,000 students had joined Moi, Kisii, Maseno, Kibabii and Meru University, and all of them paid the revised fees without complaint.

The government reassurance comes after months of anxiety from parents and students over the affordability of university education.

Confusion had earlier arisen about how scholarships, government loans and personal contributions would be calculated.

In a statement issued by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei and Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on July 31, the government said the move was a direct response to concerns raised by families across the country.

“In direct response to concerns raised by students and their families, the government has lowered fees payable by students across all academic programmes,” the statement read.

“This bold step reaffirms our commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible and quality university education, while maintaining the financial sustainability of our institutions.”

Inyangala said universities have been instructed to update their admissions and finance portals to reflect the new fees, with the entire cost of programmes met through a combination of tuition fees, scholarships and loans tailored to individual student needs.

“This bold step reaffirms our commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible and quality university education,” Inyangala had said in a letter to Vice Chancellors and Principals of Constituent Colleges.

She added that the changes directly respond to concerns raised by students and their families over the rising cost of education.

The government emphasised that the cost of education will continue to be met through a combination of tuition fees, scholarships and student loans, depending on individual need.

The Ministry of Education further called on universities to implement the new funding reforms efficiently and fairly.

“We count on your full cooperation to implement these financing reforms efficiently, equitably and in the best interest of Kenyan students and families.”

The government also reiterated its vision to position higher education as a key driver of national development, describing the changes as a landmark reform in the education sector.

With the new policy in place, thousands of students are expected to benefit from reduced financial pressure, making it easier for more Kenyans to pursue university education.

Under the revised structure, programmes like Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary medicine and Pharmacy are now costing a minimum of Sh12,343 and a maximum of Sh75,000 per semester.

Architecture will cost Sh12,960 and Sh57,888.

Engineering and surveying costs between Sh14,256 and Sh57,024 per semester.

Other courses including Built Environment and Design -Construction, Real Estate, Urban and Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, Design, Computing cost between Sh12,960 and Sh51,840.

Students are now paying between Sh14,400 and Sh57,600 for Health Sciences, Nursing, Clinical Medicine (BSc) and Medical Laboratory Science and Technology courses.

Animal Science, Radiography and Sport Science; Medical Psychology; Physical therapy; Public Health; Environmental Health; Community Health and Development courses cost Sh13,082 -Sh52,326.

Food Sciences, Food Science and Technology and Food and Nutrition courses cost between Sh11,401 and Sh45,603.

Agriculture, Natural Resource Management and the Natural Environment, Wildlife Science and Management are costing between Sh9,729 and Sh38,880.

Last month, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the fee reduction would be implemented fully to reduce the burden on parents and guardians.

“The President has accepted the proposal to reduce the students’ fees by between 15 and 40 per cent, depending on the programme the student is undertaking,” DP said.

The government recently announced a significant slashing of public university fees for all academic programmes, effective September 1, 2025, to make higher education more affordable and accessible for students and their families. The reduction in fees follows extensive consultations with stakeholders and aims to ease the financial burden on parents while maintaining the quality and financial sustainability of public universities.