Students across the country are breathing a sigh of relief after the government announced sweeping cuts to tuition fees in public universities and their constituent colleges, signaling a major shift in higher education financing.
The revised fee structure, which takes effect from September 1, 2025, follows prolonged pressure from parents, students, and education stakeholders over the rising cost of tertiary education. According to Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala, the changes are the result of extensive national consultations and are designed to ease the financial burden on families.
The reductions are substantial. Medicine and Dentistry students, who previously had to pay as much as Ksh 600,000 per year, will now pay between Ksh 22,371 and Ksh 75,000 for clinical studies. Pre-clinical students will see fees fall to between Ksh 12,960 and Ksh 51,840.
Engineering and architecture programmes, once costing up to Ksh 396,000 annually, have been slashed to a new range of Ksh 14,256 to Ksh 57,888.
For students like Brian Odhiambo, a second-year engineering student from Siaya, the news couldn’t have come at a better time.
“I was on the verge of dropping out,” Brian shared. “My HELB loan wasn’t enough, and my mum’s vegetable business couldn’t cover the Sh390,000 fee. With this cut, there’s a real chance I can finally finish my degree.”
Dr. Inyangala emphasized that the lower tuition will be supported by a revamped funding framework that includes targeted scholarships and loans based on financial need, ensuring equitable access for all.
With universities set to reopen in September, this bold move could mark the beginning of a more inclusive and sustainable future for Kenya’s higher education sector.
