Page 27 - EdSource Issue No02

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1. HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE funding model. It is not easy to 5. LAST YEAR (2020), THE
SHAPED YOU INTO THE LEADER navigate the numerous challenges GOVER NMENT SLASHED
YOU ARE TODAY? faced by universities with huge FUNDING TO UNIVERSITIES
debts going into 60 Billion, but with BY ABOUT 25%. HOW HAS THIS
Professionally, I have been in the the involvement of stakeholders, we AFFECTED THE ROLL OUT OF THE
higher education sector for 23 believe we are up to the task. We DUC?
years, this is my 24th year. I started also believe that our new strategic
as a humble Accounts Clerk and I plan will guide the institution to This has definitely been affected,
worked my way up to become the make positive change in the coming because in the last financial year
Chief Operations Officer (COO) of 5 years. we were funding the DUC at 60% at
the Higher Education Loans Board an average of 170,000 per student.
(HELB). At HELB, I began honing 3. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT YOU This has now reduced to 53.77%, so
my leadership skills by leading MEAN BY THE DIFFERENTIATED we are now funding students at an
small teams and I grew over time to UNIT COST (DUC)? average of 154,385. Actually the
manage bigger teams. I found joy funding has not been slashed, the
inspiring my teams to meet targets DUC is a model whereby universities reason you see the 6% reduction is
and day to day challenges. As my are allocated budgets according to because the number of students
responsibilities grew, I attended the number of students enrolled enrolled in the universities this
various training programs that in their institutions and the type past year has increased. The
opened my mind on how to lead and of courses they offer. The model government increased the budget
manage people. Reading widely also differentiates the programs because by 700,000KES but the numbers of
helped me upscale my leadership the resources required for example students increased by 30,000 this is
skills. And by the time I became COO to teach medicine are not the same where the gap is.
I had learnt new ways to inspire and as those required for an Arts course.
motivate my 120 members of staff, Students pursuing Medicine course 6. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
to pursue a vision that would drive will take more practical courses, FUNDING SOURCES FOR PUBLIC
the institution to achieve beyond the equipment required is more UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA?
its core mandate, which included; expensive, and more professors
lending, loan recoveries and from different specialties will be Public universities generate income
documentation. required. Therefore a student from government budget allocation
studying medicine will inevitably and internal revenues. The main
2. YOU ARE NOW 9 MONTHS get more funding than one offering source of income is the government
OLD AT THE HELM OF THE a social science course. allocation categorized as Recurrent,
UNIVERSITIES FUND, HOW HAS based on Differentiated Unit Cost
THE TRANSITION BEEN FOR YOU? 4. WHAT IS THE UNIVERSITIES (DUC) which was implemented
FUND MANDATE? in the 2017/18 financial year.
When I joined in December 2020, the This accounts for the largest
Fund had not been operationalized The University Funds mandate is share of university expenditure
and was minimally resourced. I to advise the Cabinet Secretary catering mainly for staff expenses,
took over an institution with only on matters to do with universities administration, learning materials
one employee, who happened funding and related policy issues. and teaching. This allocation also
to be the acting CEO, the Fund Secondly, is to develop a clear, goes towards capital funding, which
occupied 3 rooms at Teleposta transparent and fair methodology includes funds for development
Towers and the budget was only of allocating funds to universities. and infrastructure, which is critical
24 million. However, in 9 months After allocating the funds, the UF is to ensure quality and relevance in
I have been able to lobby and our also mandated to disburse funds to university education and research.
budget has been increased from both public and private universities, Other sources of income for public
24million to 244million. With the this includes issuing conditional universities is internally generated
support of the Cabinet Secretary, grants. And also in consultation funds by university departments,
the Fund was allocated more with the Chair Persons of councils relevant Ministries, agencies and
spacious offices in the NACOSTI of public universities, the Fund also donors who fund universities
building where we currently are. establishes DUCs for programs directly, this funds are usually spent
Within this same period we have offered. We also establish the at source.
managed to come up with a revised minimum disciplined differentiated
Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC). remuneration for universities
And we are currently undertaking academic staff. Another crucial Public universities also generate
public private participation for role of the Fund is to mobilize and revenue through tuition fees and
the university funding framework receive funds from government, income generating activities. This
which will include university DUC, donors and other stakeholders for revenue amounts to approximately
a formula for capital infrastructure the purpose of funding universities. 5% of budget required to run the
funds and new performance based Those are our key responsibilities. universities and includes revenue

EdSource Quarterly | Oct-Dec l 2021