Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has announced a significant reduction and standardisation of fees for public university programmes, with costs now ranging between Ksh5,800 and Ksh75,000 per semester.

This announcement comes as thousands of candidates await placement following the release of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results.

The CS said the move is aimed at enhancing access and affordability in higher education, especially as Kenya navigates key education reforms alongside rising enrolment numbers.

University fees rationalised to boost access

Speaking on Friday, January 9, 2026, Ogamba reaffirmed the government’s commitment to easing the financial burden on students and families through fee rationalisation across public universities.

“To enhance access and affordability, fees for academic programmes in our public universities have also been rationalised by 15% to 40%, so that the fees for university programmes range from Ksh5,800 to Ksh75,000 per semester depending on the program of study,” he said.

The revised fee structure, which took effect on September 1, 2025, applies to both new and continuing students. According to the Ministry, some programmes recorded reductions of more than 40 per cent, a move intended to encourage enrolment while addressing sustainability challenges facing higher education institutions.

KCSE 2025 results officially released

The announcement came during the official release of the 2025 KCSE results at AIC Chebisaas Boys’ High School in Uasin Gishu County. A total of 993,226 candidates sat the examinations, comprising 492,012 male candidates (49.54%) and 501,214 female candidates (50.46%), marking the second consecutive year in whichfemale candidates outnumbered males.

Ogamba noted an improvement in overall performance, with 270,715 candidates, representing 27.18 per cent, attaining a mean grade of C+ and above, qualifying them for direct university entry. This was an increase from 246,391 candidates (25.53 per cent) recorded in the 2024 KCSE.

“This morning, I have had the honour of officially releasing the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination results at a release ceremony held at the AIC Chebisaas Boys’ High School in Uasin Gishu County,” Ogamba stated in a post on X.

Transition from 8-4-4 to CBC gains momentum

The CS explained that the release of the results comes at a critical moment in Kenya’s education reforms, as the country continues transitioning from the 8-4-4 system to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

“KCSE is the terminal summative assessment tool at the end of secondary education, which evaluates candidates’ learning and guides their transition to tertiary education. This year’s release coincides with the transition of the inaugural Grade 10 cohort to Senior School, as we phase out the 8-4-4 system,” he said.

The results now pave the way for placement into universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and colleges, in line with the government’s 100 per cent transition policy.