Kenya’s higher education institutions have been urged to prepare for a major surge in student admissions, with over 600,000 learners from the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) expected to join universities by 2029.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba stressed that universities must strengthen both their physical infrastructure and academic capacity to manage the incoming cohort effectively.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 2026 Public Universities Vice Chancellors’ Summit in Mombasa, Ogamba highlighted the need for institutions to plan strategically for this historic intake.
“These learners are coming to university in 2029. You are preparing your human resources, your infrastructure and other things. But the way I see it, I anticipate that you are likely to admit 600,000 because of the pathways. What are you going to use to admit these students?" he asked, pressing universities to act decisively.
He warned against complacency, stressing that meeting the basic requirements will not be enough.
“You must exceed expectation or meet expectation. Somebody meets expectations. What does that mean? It means they are qualified to go to the next stage. And if 600,000 of them meet expectation, what will you say, I cannot admit them to university now?”
Ogamba called for universities to develop forward-looking policies, participate in law-making, and expand their digital and physical capacity to accommodate the influx.
The CS also linked higher education to Kenya’s broader development goals, urging universities to play a central role in shaping policies and research that support the country’s vision of becoming a first-world economy.
“No program, no policy, no law should go without the input of universities. If they take their rightful place, we will shorten the time needed to achieve the Singapore dream,” he noted.
ICT Principal Secretary John Tanui supported the call, promising enhanced internet connectivity through an ongoing fibre optic rollout.
“The journey to the first world will become a reality if academicians work closely with government programs and have their expertise factored in,” he said, highlighting the importance of digital collaboration between academia and government.
Universities, however, are facing hurdles. Taita Taveta University Vice Chancellor Prof Simiyu Barasa lamented high costs and poor internet access, saying, “We have written to the government and feel discriminated against because internet connectivity in our university is inadequate and very expensive.”
Tanui reassured institutions that the government has allocated resources to expand connectivity, noting that 12,500 kilometres of fibre optic cable are being laid nationwide.
The summit focused on enhancing sustainability, quality, and innovation in higher education. Ogamba encouraged universities to increase research funding, deepen partnerships with industry, and embrace digital systems to position themselves as key drivers of national development.
“As we think about moving to the first world, has any university produced a draft paper and shared it? Don’t you think this is an opportunity to be incorporated into the dream team of think-tanks leading this?” he asked, urging institutions to reclaim leadership in solving societal challenges rather than leaving it to outsiders.
