- Education policy in Kenya is often driven by slogans and electoral timelines rather than by a sustained national strategy.
- The government must stop treating education like a vote-harvesting gimmick. Policy must be grounded in realism and long-term thinking.
- Kenya’s youth are ambitious, creative, and eager to work. What they need is an education system that equips them with skills, not just certificates. We need more makers, builders, and problem-solvers—not more frustrated graduates with hollow degrees.
The Ministry of Education’s recent move to lower university fees is being celebrated by many as a pro-student intervention in the midst of a worsening financial crisis in public universities. Yet, while fee reduction may appear compassionate, it is ultimately a band-aid solution that fails to confront the structural dysfunction at the heart of Kenya’s higher education system.
In fact, this decision is just another sign of political-cycle planning—where short-term popularity is valued over long-term transformation. Education policy in Kenya is often driven by slogans and electoral timelines rather than by a sustained national strategy. This is a dangerous approach. Education is a long-term investment, not a campaign tool. It shapes generations, industries, and national productivity. Quick fixes will not prepare Kenya for the future.
The deeper problem is that our universities are producing graduates the market doesn’t want. Every year, thousands of students graduate into unemployment or underemployment. It is not just a lack of jobs that’s the issue, but a fundamental mismatch between what universities teach and what industries require. Many graduates lack technical skills, critical thinking, and adaptability—traits needed in a rapidly evolving world.
This disconnect is rooted in the colonial legacy of our education system. Kenya inherited an education model designed to serve the needs of the colonial state—not the aspirations of African communities. It was a system built to produce catechists, clerks, and civil servants who would reinforce colonial administration and foreign economic interests.
But there was another, subtler design: to keep Africans in school for as long as possible, delaying their economic and civic debut. Schooling was not just about indoctrination—it was about postponement. By making formal education a never-ending ladder of certifications and delays, colonial powers effectively slowed down African participation in real economic production and leadership. That logic, sadly, persists. Even today, young people spend most of their productive years pursuing paper credentials while accumulating debt and disillusionment.
It is time to cut the umbilical cord of this outdated and disempowering system. Artificial intelligence, automation, and digital disruption are redefining work globally. Entire professions are being phased out. Meanwhile, online platforms offer affordable, flexible, and job-relevant learning opportunities. If Kenya’s universities remain stuck in the past, they will be bypassed—not just by global competitors, but by their own students.
The question we must ask is not, “How can we make university cheaper?” but “How can we make university matter?” Lowering fees might increase enrolment, but it won’t fix irrelevance. A broken model becomes no better simply because it’s now affordable.
Universities must urgently rethink their purpose. They must move beyond academic ritualism and begin producing graduates who are competent, confident, and relevant. This means:
- Overhauling curricula to reflect modern trends and local needs.
- Streamlining bureaucracy and redirecting resources into innovation and student development.
- Partnering with industry to co-create programs, internships, and job pathways.
- Modernising teaching through blended learning and practical, problem-solving models.
- Elevating vocational training, which must be well-funded, respected, and mainstreamed.
Not every university must offer every course. Strategic specialisation, institutional collaboration, and quality control must replace the race to duplicate outdated programs across all campuses.
But reform must go beyond universities. The government must stop treating education like a vote-harvesting gimmick. Policy must be grounded in realism and long-term thinking. Education is not a five-year manifesto—it’s a 50-year blueprint. Investing in relevance is more important than subsidising irrelevance.
Kenya’s youth are ambitious, creative, and eager to work. What they need is an education system that equips them with skills, not just certificates. We need more makers, builders, and problem-solvers—not more frustrated graduates with hollow degrees.
Lowering university fees may ease short-term pressure, but it will not fix the real crisis. Only deep, courageous reform will secure the future. Kenya must stop producing unemployable degree holders and start nurturing a skilled, confident workforce ready to shape the 21st century.
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Morvin Achila writes on economics, governance, and development policy in Africa affiliated with Kenyatta University.
