Babu Owino: The protests against the university funding model ought to proceed as scheduled

A wave of student protests swept through the universities in Kenya in the past weeks, sparked by concerns over the government’s proposed model on funding at the university level. Demonstrations were led by students in fueling frustrations with increased tuition that have drawn unprecedented attention from the public to equally concerned political figures. The most vocal advocates of such protests include Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who since his days in the University of Nairobi as a student leader has championed students’ rights.

Owino, the former Chairman of the Students Organisation of Nairobi University, has been an ardent supporter of students and the empowerment of the youths for a long time. His recent utterances to maintain protests against the government’s new funding model for universities have only cemented his status as a friend of the students. The MP is adamant that demonstrations over the funding model must persist until the government revisits what he terms an oppressive and unrealistic policy.

The Funding Model for Universities: A Proposal Mired in Controversy

The government’s proposal to amend the university funding model, whereby university students will no longer be automatically sponsored by the government for education in university, is the bone of contention. Government resources are now offered depending on financial need, performance, and the policy of a given institution. This has angered students, most of whom feel that they will be left unable to pay for higher education.

Students who excelled in national exams in previous years gained merit for government funding under the “government-sponsored” programs, which greatly reduces their tuition fees. In the new proposal, however, the government proposes a merit-need-based system where financial aid shall be allotted to students from a disadvantaged background. While this sounds fair on paper, critics like Babu Owino feel that it will marginalize deserving students from middle-class backgrounds who cannot qualify as “needy” but are nonetheless strained when it comes to the financial burden of paying for education.

What the government is trying to do is make education a preserve of the few who are well-endowed in society while leaving behind hardworking students who come from poor backgrounds,” Owino commented recently during a rally. “This new model is a betrayal to the youth and the future of this country. We must reject it in the strongest terms possible.”

The Role of Babu Owino

A graduate of the University of Nairobi, Babu Owino knows quite well the challenges that face students. While chairman of SONU, he led numerous demonstrations to demand better conditions for students: lower tuition fees, and improved conditions for students in university hostels. He attained national prominence for his leadership to represent the grievances of youth.

Owino, since his election to national politics, has continued to raise his voice on reforms in education, youth empowerment, and social justice. This current support for the student-led demonstrations shows that this is part of Owino’s bigger way of trying to solve what he feels are more structural inequities within Kenya’s education sector. Owino argues that the new funding model proposed by the government does not reflect the economic realities of the majority of Kenyan families and, if implemented, would widen the divide between the rich and the poor.

Owino has taken to social media and public rallies to ask students to continue protesting until they hear their cry. He reiterated that peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right and one of the ways of ensuring the government is held to account. “We cannot allow the government to implement this model without proper consultation and input from students, who are the direct stakeholders,” he asserted.

Escalating Tensions

Already, the protest against the new funding model has seen a couple of demonstrations across major universities in Kenya, where students demanded the immediate revocation of the proposed system. A few protests have turned confrontational with police, leaving several injured and arrested. With tensions mounting, Babu Owino implored calm: “We want our students to conduct peaceful protests, but at the same time we stand firm in these demands.”.

Owino insists that there still has to be protests though, because it is the protester’s goal to try and make the government change its stance once and for all. “We must fight for our rights as students and as Kenyans,” he said addressing a group of university students in Nairobi. “Education is not a privilege. It is a right. And we must ensure that every student, regardless of background, gets quality education.”

The MP has gone ahead to promise consultations with other political leaders and other top policymakers on alternative approaches to the current funding model. He says that he feels there are better ways of managing the financial problems being faced by universities without having to hurt the most vulnerable students’ chances of accessing higher education.

The Future of Protests

As tensions remain high, what happened proved that the university funding model debate was far from over. The demonstrations are expected to take a higher tempo in the coming weeks following this endorsement by Babu Owino. Students and their supporters say they will not stop until the government withdraws the controversial policy or holds meaningful dialogue with stakeholders.

But for Owino, this is not just an issue of university fees but about a general struggle for social justice and the future of Kenyan youth. “Education holds the key to unlocking the potential of this country,” he said. “If we fail to invest in our students today, we are failing the future of Kenya.”

The student leader has sounded the clarion call, and it is a wait-and-see event for the government to heed the calls for change or push ahead with the controversial funding model. Either way, Babu Owino has made his case: demos must go on.