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The government was yesterday forced to make a declaration that it will no longer fund private universities beginning September following pressure from MPs.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said no capitation or grants will be sent to any private universities as they will give priority to public universities.   Machogu told the Public Investments Committee on governance and education chaired by Bumula MP Wamboka Wanami (pictured) that all students who sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination will placed in public universities unlike before when private universities also got government-sponsored students.

Machogu (pictured) said parents who opt to send their children to private universities will have to foot the bills.

The decision will see the private universities lose close to Sh20 billion including Sh13.8 billion received as capitation and Sh7.6 billion in grants in the last five years. “This year all our students are going to public universities unless you as a parent chooses to go to private university which you will have to fund. This year no grant is going to a private university as we have changed the way we will do the placement of students,” said Machogu