President William Ruto has announced plans to open the National Open University of Kenya, which will offer affordable courses.
Ruto’s plan to open a tertiary institution gained momentum on October 18 when the Presidential Task Force on Education Reform called for a review of the institution’s operations.
A private university plans to offer affordable online degree courses to Kenyans.
The university will also target Kenyans and other commitments by offering part-time courses.
However, we do not know how much the agency will pay.
In particular, the virtual learning university was one of Ruto’s campaign promises ahead of the August 9 election.
When Ruto signed the Kenya Kwanza Education Charter in June, he said he would prioritize organizational work in the first 100 days of his government.
“We believe that a university that will increase access to university education will be created in our first 100 days.
“As Kenya Kwanza, we believe that we can offer a virtual, accessible and empowering course to people who are not at the age of greatest interest,” he said.
However, the concept of higher education institutions goes back to the administration of President Mwai Kibaki in 2010, when Ruto became Minister of Higher Education.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Fred Matiangyi made a similar proposal during the tenure of President Uhuru Kenyatta. But the plan did not work.
Other countries such as the UK and Tanzania have universities that prioritize technology courses.
The creation process coincided with the proposal to increase spending to finance university fees.
Outgoing Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said the government’s $16,000 cap was long overdue.
“Ksh16,000 was coined 30 years ago, please be realistic. Ksh16,000 then is worth about Ksh100,000 today (depending on inflation rate),” he said.