Nairobi — Public universities have recorded a sharp decline in government funding over the past three years, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

The report shows that 24 universities lost up to Sh13 billion in allocations between the 2023/2024 and 2025/2026 financial years under the new funding model.

At the University of Nairobi, funding dropped from Sh2.44 billion in 2023/2024 to Sh947.8 million in 2024/2025, before falling further to Sh534.79 million in 2025/2026. The number of government-sponsored students also declined from 23,666 to 10,859.

The Technical University of Mombasa saw funding cut from Sh1.06 billion to Sh90.9 million over the same period, while Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology allocations fell from Sh2.5 billion to Sh474.83 million, alongside a drop in sponsored students.

Other major institutions, including Kenyatta University, Egerton University and Maseno University, also recorded reductions, with funding declining from over Sh1 billion to slightly above Sh600 million.

The cuts come as more than 250,000 students are set to join universities in September, raising concerns over the sector's ability to accommodate growing enrolment.