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The government has urged universities to exploit their creative and professional resources to generate revenue in the face of the new higher education funding model.

In the new model, individual students are funded based on the cost of the programme and the financial background of the student’s household.

Speaking at a media sensitisation forum in Naivasha, Universities Fund CEO Geoffrey Monari said universities had failed to exploit their potential to raise revenue.

“Our universities have not been creative enough because they have been drawing funds from the exchequer. Going forward, things will be different,”he said.

Commercialising research

Monari said universities should focus on commercialising research and engaging in public-private partnership programmes.

Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service CEO Mercy Wahome (pictured) said the habit of falsifying data for financial advantage had come to an end. She said there are instances where universities inflate data related to the number of students to draw more funding.

Meanwhile, students applying to join university have been advised to be careful when selecting courses. Monari said the new model has put a cost to each course hence the need to have a decision on the right course made at household level.

“The process of selecting a course is more sensitive than it was before as there are specific costs involved. Kindly ensure you have made the right decision as a small mistake at that level may affect you even in future,” he said.