Barely a week after an uproar over the reduction of capitation for learners in primary and secondary schools, senators now want a review of accommodation fees and facilities in universities. 

This is after the lawmakers established that there has been a sharp increase in university hostel accommodation fees across public universities over the past four years. 

Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi) raised the alarm, charging that the increase in accommodation facilities has had far-reaching implications, particularly on vulnerable students who now have to seek cheaper, often unsafe housing alternatives outside the university premises. 

“Female students, in particular, are disproportionately affected and exposed to heightened risks in insecure neighbourhoods. This situation undermines not only the right to education, but also the right to dignity and safety for learners,” charged the Nairobi lawmaker. 

He argued that public universities in Kenya have traditionally offered affordable accommodation to students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. 

However, in recent years, the cost of on-campus accommodation has risen significantly, placing a heavy financial burden on students and their families. 

The senators now want the Ministry of Education to explain the reasons behind the increase in accommodation fees in public universities, especially in light of the prevailing economic hardships and the need to ensure affordability and safety for all students. 

Additionally, the ministry should provide details on the current state of infrastructure in university hostels, including the level of repair and maintenance of existing accommodation facilities. 

“We want an analysis of the current student populations compared to the available on-campus accommodation spaces and the plans, if any, that exist to expand and upgrade student housing in public universities,” said Sifuna. 

Enhance loans

He also sought to know whether the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) intends to revise or enhance student loan disbursements to better support students in meeting essential needs, such as accommodation, food and transportation, given the increases. 

Weighing in on the issue, Richard Onyonka (Kisii) proposed to the Kenya Kwanza administration that they should construct hostels and provide accommodation facilities to students instead of Affordable Housing Units. 

“It is true that we, in the opposition, sometimes just talk about the problem. Today, I want to give a solution to the Government. Why can the Government not build hostels in all our universities in the Republic of Kenya instead of all these affordable housing units, which nobody wants?” posed Onyonka. 

He went on: “If you do these hostels, we know the rent is not going to be more than Ksh5,000 per month. These hostels will pay themselves because the parents are already paying, anyway. Why are we building houses in places with trees and cows and no people, places such as Nyandarua? Can we, please, build hostels for our universities and even our secondary schools because the Government can recover the money?” 

Julius Murgor (West Pokot) said that the increase in the cost of accommodation facilities would lead to untold suffering, especially for students from low-income households. 

“This increase in accommodation fees will mean that the children of the well-to-do and the children of the people who can pay will be the ones who will be housed in those hostels. Children of poor people, the commoners, will not be accommodated in the hostels in our universities. The children of the commoners will suffer and probably drop out of universities because their parents cannot afford it. This is heading the wrong way,” charged Murgor. 

Wash-wash background 

Dr Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) proposed that there is a need to re-look at the university funding model, adding that whereas the old model allowed parents to pay that small fee, with this increment, even with the Government paying the higher fee using the means of testing, children are not able to afford the balance. 

“We have to look at it critically and ask ourselves if we want this to be a country of people who come from the wash-wash background or a country that will have young professionals like Eddy with a good education. 

He went on: “I have been pursuing this disaster and I have found that faculties have increased school fees by as high as 138 per cent in the Faculty of Engineering, 105 per cent in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 81 per cent in the Faculty of Medicine and so on. The net effect is the high cost of university education.” 

Samson Cherarkey (Nandi) argued that several university hostels are in deplorable conditions and appealed to the government to include hostels in the affordable housing programme, to make life bearable for the comrades. 

“I felt very bad that they were demonstrating over a basic need. We should be discussing science and innovation in our universities. Even slums look better than most of the hostels that we are seeing in most of these universities,” said Cherargei. 

According to Cherargei, some students are being charged up to Ksh40,000 for accommodation, yet the facilities provided do not match what is being offered to them. 

“Can you believe that you will still find bedbugs in most of our universities? Can you believe our comrades are being eaten by bedbugs? This is the hub of serious knowledge, engagement and discourse.”