Senators demand explanation over soaring public university hostel fees
The call follows reports that some public universities are charging up to Sh40,000 per semester for accommodation, a sharp rise from previous years.
Senators have called on the Ministry of Education to explain the rationale behind increased hostel charges, arguing that the hike is unjustified given the country’s economic difficulties and the deteriorating conditions in student hostels.
The call follows reports that some public universities are charging up to Sh40,000 per semester for accommodation, a sharp rise from previous years. The senators argued that public universities, which have traditionally provided affordable hostel facilities, are now becoming inaccessible to many students from low-income households.
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The legislators warned that the rising costs are pushing students, especially those from poor families, into unsafe off-campus housing, risking their safety and access to education.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna raised the alarm, noting that the increase in fees has driven students to seek cheaper alternatives in insecure neighbourhoods, placing female students in particular at heightened risk.
“This situation undermines not only the right to education, but also the right to dignity and safety for learners,” Sifuna said.
West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor expressed concern over the sudden hike, saying it would lead to untold suffering, especially for students from poor families. He warned that many students might be forced to drop out of university due to the unaffordable accommodation fees.
“This increase in accommodation fees means that children from well-to-do families and those of the people who can pay will be the ones to be housed in those hostels. Children of poor people, the commoners, will not be accommodated in the hostels in our universities,” Murgor said.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei also lamented that despite the high fees, many university hostels are in deplorable conditions.
“Can you believe that you will still find bedbugs in most of our universities? Even slums look better than most of the hostels we are seeing in most of these universities,” he said.
He appealed to the government to include student hostels in the affordable housing programme, saying it would help ease the financial pressure on students and improve their living conditions.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale added that the issue is closely tied to the university funding model, which he said must be re-evaluated. He argued that while the old model allowed parents to pay modest fees, the current structure has shifted the financial burden to families who can no longer keep up with the rising costs, even with partial government support.
“Whereas the old model allowed parents to pay a small fee, they cannot afford the current increment, even with the government covering most of the costs,” Khalwale said.
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