… The release comes days before the opening of the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal, where students joining universities through the 2025 KCSE cohort will apply for scholarships and Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans. …
Gov't releases Ksh.4.2B in university scholarships for 400,000 students By Benjamin Muriuki June 26, 2026 08:56 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter University students at the Higher Education Loans Board office …
… In higher education, funding for the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has increased to Ksh.56.7 billion, while Ksh.40.4 billion has been allocated for university, Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and TVET scholarships. …
… University and TVET financing gets a substantial injection, with Sh56.3 billion proposed for the Higher Education Loans Board, Sh30.9 billion for university scholarships, and Sh9.2 billion for TVET scholarships. …
… The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries in the education budget, with a substantial increase to Ksh.56.7 billion. …
… The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) faces a Sh33.9 billion funding gap needed to support more than one million university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students this year. …
The Universities Fund has released Sh4.2 billion in scholarships to public universities to support over 400,000 continuing undergraduate students under the Student-Centred Funding Model, raising the 2025/2026 financial year allocation from the National Treasury to Sh18.4 billion. The funds are meant to cover tuition fees for students who enrolled in universities in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Why it matters
The Universities Fund released Sh4.2 billion for over 400,000 students, easing financial pressure on university education.
The Universities Fund has released Sh4.2 billion in scholarships to public universities to support over 400,000 continuing undergraduate students under the Student-Centred Funding Model, raising the 2025/2026 financial year allocation from the National Treasury to Sh18.4 billion. The funds are meant to cover tuition fees for students who enrolled in universities in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The government has released Ksh.4.2 billion in scholarships to public universities to support more than 400,000 continuing undergraduate students under the Student-Centred Funding Model, bringing the total 2025/2026 allocation to Ksh.18.4 billion.
President William Ruto has increased the duty-free allowance for returning travellers from Ksh.39,000 to Ksh.260,000 when assenting to the Finance Bill 2026, aiming to address concerns from Kenyans living and working abroad and other visitors.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi proposed Ksh.784.5 billion for education in the 2026/2027 national budget, representing 26.4 per cent of total ministerial spending, as schools across the country face delayed capitation and widespread unrest affecting more than 200 learning institutions.
The Treasury Cabinet Secretary announced the government will spend Sh784.5 billion on education in the 2026/27 financial year, with Sh424 billion for teachers' salaries, dismissing claims of budget cuts. Education accounts for 26.5 per cent of the ministerial budget, up from 24.5 per cent in 2021/22, representing a rise of nearly 49 per cent from Sh526 billion in 2021/22.
The National Treasury has proposed Sh784.5 billion for education in the 2026/27 budget, the largest single-sector allocation, distributed across basic education, universities, technical training, and teacher recruitment. The Teachers Service Commission receives the largest share at Sh424.3 billion, followed by higher education at Sh163.9 billion.
The Ministry of Education requested Ksh.770 billion for the 2026/2027 financial year but the National Assembly's Budget and Appropriations Committee allocated Ksh.668.3 billion, leaving a deficit of Ksh.102 billion that could hinder development projects and worsen capitation funding challenges. Specific allocations fall short for free primary education (Ksh.7 billion allocated versus Ksh.15.6 billion requested) and the school feeding programme targeting 2.8 million learners.
The Social Health Authority has appointed Winfred Nduku Nthiani as Assistant Director for Corporate Communication following a competitive recruitment process that attracted 100 applicants and narrowed to seven shortlisted candidates interviewed on Wednesday.
A Standard opinion piece compares Kenya's roads to a wildlife documentary where small car owners face hazardous overtaking by truck drivers who behave recklessly with bright lights and aggressive maneuvers, leaving smaller vehicles vulnerable.
Kenya's higher education sector has expanded enrollment to approximately 670,000 students across public and private universities while lowering fees by 15–40% under a revised funding model, but faces a Sh156.7 billion shortfall in State Department allocations and Sh85.28 billion in pending bills at public universities.