President William Ruto has defended continued investment in universities, saying Kenya cannot achieve its development ambitions without adequately funding higher education and building a strong knowledge-based economy.
Speaking on Tuesday, July 28, during the Huawei ICT Awards held at State House, Nairobi, Ruto dismissed concerns over where the government would get the money to finance universities, insisting that investing in education was less costly than the consequences of failing to do so.
"I know many people are asking me, where are you going to find the money to fund these universities?" Ruto stated.
Quoting the popular saying, the President added: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance, and you will know which one is more expensive."
Ruto noted that education remained the country's most important investment, arguing that Kenya had no alternative but to continue funding learning and developing its human capital.
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"For us to move this country to a first-world status, knowledge and education is central to that journey. It is what other economies have done to be able to make the move they have. It is what Kenya must do," he mentioned.
He maintained that the country must continue investing in education to produce the skilled workforce needed to drive economic growth.
"And therefore, we have no option but to fund our knowledge, to get the best human capital," the Head of State affirmed.
The President also stressed that innovation and critical thinking would determine Kenya's future, saying, "No nation can develop beyond its capacity to think. If you cannot imagine the future, you cannot get there."
His remarks come days after he defended the government's plan to guarantee funding for all students placed in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Speaking on Thursday, July 23, Ruto dismissed criticism over the proposal, saying the government had a clear plan to implement it through changes to the university funding model.
He claimed the revised funding model had already helped stabilise universities that were previously struggling with financial challenges.
"In 2022, some of the universities were facing shutdowns because they could not afford to pay lecturers and suppliers. I changed the funding model, which brought change to the universities," Ruto remarked.
The President also revealed that the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Amendment Bill had already been tabled in the National Assembly to support the reforms and guarantee funding for students admitted to universities and TVET institutions.
"There is a Higher Education Loans Board Amendment Bill in Parliament, which will enable us to ensure that every Kenyan who is placed in TVET or university will have funding to educate all of them," he stated.
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