Why KMTC students will have to wait longer to receive direct financial assistance from HELB
KMTC students are facing obstacles in receiving funds from the HELB due to a budget deficit of Sh19 billion and the absence of explicit legal instructions.
Julius Ogamba, the Education Cabinet Secretary, informed the Joint Committee on Education and Health in the National Assembly that the ministry is unable to assist all tertiary institution students due to limitations in the existing regulations.
During the budgeting process, Mr. Ogamba informed legislators that institutions create their budgets in collaboration with their respective line ministries. He clarified that HELB works on its budget with the Ministry of Education, while KMTC coordinates its budget with the Ministry of Health.
Mr. Ogamba informed members of parliament that it is crucial to note that certain colleges and training centers, like KMTC, fall under different governing bodies than the Ministry of Education. This fact can have an impact on how the National Assembly allocates funds during the budgeting process.
The education CS pointed out that HELB does not receive adequate funding to assist tertiary education institutions that are not under the Ministry of Education due to the sector-based line-Ministry budgeting process.
Mr. Ogamba informed the joint committee that the budget allocated to HELB from the exchequer is specifically designated for a set number of students in universities and educational institutions under the ministry of education.
Mr. Ogamba stated that many tertiary education institutions not under the Ministry of Education do not receive funding due to budget constraints within HELB.
The CS informed the committee that funds allocated from the treasury for the institutions they oversee are designated for a particular student count.
Mr. Ogamba mentioned that the current resources of HELB, totaling a shortfall of Sh19.7B, are designated for a specific group of students in universities and TVET institutions.
According to the reports presented to the committee, the ministry requested a loan of Sh1,394,443,131 for the 122,634 students in the KCSE 2023 group in the 2024/25 Financial Year. However, they were only given Sh13,768,404,874, resulting in a shortfall of Sh12,373,961,743.
In addition, the department faced a shortfall of Sh7,298,179,901 during the same fiscal year to assist students who took their KCSE exams in 2023 and enrolled in different Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs.
Mr. Ogamba stated that many higher education and training institutions not under the Ministry of Education are not receiving funding due to insufficient budget allocation by HELB.
The cabinet secretary informed the committee that provided the ministry receives sufficient funding, it is willing to assist students in all tertiary institutions not under its jurisdiction.
Mr. Ogamba stated that the Ministry of Education and HELB are prepared to collaborate with various parties to secure funding for students in tertiary institutions. Additional funding will need to be allocated to HELB, and they will be looking to the departmental committees for help in obtaining this support.
Despite facing financial limitations, Mr. Ogamba informed members of parliament that HELB has collaborated with different organizations outside of the ministry to offer financial assistance to students, utilizing resources allocated by those organizations from their own budgets.
In the example of KMTC, Mr. Ogamba noted that HELB has allocated funding of Sh1.2 billion for the financial years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, sourced from resources received from the Ministry of Health.
The committee was informed by the CS that from 2014 to 2019, loans amounting to Sh468 million were given to KMTC students by HELB, with the assistance of support from USAID, an organization that has been dissolved by President Donald Trump.
Balambala MP Abdi Shurie brought up the issue of KMTC students being excluded from receiving the fund, calling it unjust and discriminatory.
“Why are KMTC students not eligible for HELB support like students from other public institutions?” He inquired.
HELB initially focused on providing financial support to college students, but with the introduction of the TVET Act in 2013, the organization expanded its funding to include trainees in vocational institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Education.