Ndindi Nyoro called for the settlement of university arrears during St Paul’s University’s Cultural Week launch.
Ndindi Nyoro urges the government to settle university arrears, resolve the lecturers’ strike and address school funding gaps.
People’s Party of Kenya leader Ndindi Nyoro has demanded action on private university funding, citing arrears exceeding Sh60 billion. He urged President William Ruto’s administration to release the money, saying payment delays were straining institutions educating government-supported students.
Nyoro spoke at St Paul’s University during the official launch of its Cultural Week. He accused the government of neglecting higher education and failing to honour its financial commitments.
Nyoro presses for private university funding
The legislator said private institutions continued to educate students under government-supported arrangements despite the outstanding payments. He argued that universities should not carry that financial burden after complying with government directives.
Nyoro therefore called for the immediate settlement of the arrears. He warned that continued underfunding could weaken university education across the country.
He also urged the government to treat higher education as a national priority. Its ambitions for the sector, he argued, must come with adequate financing and respect for agreements with education stakeholders.
Call to resolve lecturers’ strike
Meanwhile, Nyoro criticised the government’s handling of the ongoing university lecturers’ strike. He said the industrial action had interrupted learning and left students uncertain about their academic futures.
He urged the government to engage lecturers and address their grievances so classes could resume. Nyoro also called for implementation of the agreement between the government and university lecturers.
Honouring those commitments would help restore stability in higher education, he argued. He warned that prolonged disputes threatened students’ academic progress while adding pressure on financially strained universities.
To resolve the impasse, Nyoro urged the government to work with university management and lecturers.
School capitation shortfall
Beyond universities, Nyoro claimed the government had released only Sh14,000 per school learner against an expected Sh22,000. He said the shortfall made it harder for schools to cover operating costs and provide quality education.
He therefore called on Ruto to address funding challenges across both basic and higher education. Timely payments, he said, were necessary for schools and universities to function effectively.
Nyoro’s figures for university arrears and school capitation remain unverified. His demands centre on settling outstanding payments, improving school funding and urgently resolving the lecturers’ strike.
