CS Matiang'i: We will review university funding

Education CS Fred Matiang'i PHOTO:COURTESY

Public universities have secured a concession after the Government allowed room for renegotiation for a new funding formula to be implemented from July 1.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i told a forum of senior public university management teams that the differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) may be re-examined to quell growing disquiet from the institutions.

"I have heard many things said about the DUC. We should spend more time on this matter and let them (university managers) know what it means," said Dr Matiang'i.

Differentiated Unit Cost is the amount of money required by an institution to teach one academic programme per year per student.

CRAFTED FORMULA

It is a funding formula crafted by vice chancellors and it pegs the disbursement of university funds on how much it costs to teach each programme in one academic year.

The formula lumps together all university programmes into 14 clusters and pegs the unit cost for each.

For instance, teaching a dentist would require the most funding - Sh600,000 per student per academic year.

Medicine would require Sh576,000 annually and pharmacy Sh432,000.

Arts (general) would require the least funding at Sh144,000 per year.

Veterinary medicine, engineering, architecture, built environment, agriculture and education also require heavy funding.

Funding of universities will be done by the Universities Funding Board, established under Section 54 of the Universities Act.

Matiang'i termed DUC the "most fair and transparent" method of allocating funds to the universities.

"We have not cut the budget. It is the most rational way of funding universities. If there are any challenges, we can discuss it," he said.