Students wishing to pursue higher education will now have a free hand to join either the public or private university of their choice and still enjoy state funding.

This is after the government abandoned plans to give the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) board the responsibility to place students in public and private universities.

Last year, the government stopped funding students who opted to join private universities after introducing a new university funding model. But now with the latest move, a student would have the ultimate choice to either join a public or private university.

Last Thursday, Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah withdrew the proposed amendments to the Universities Act of 2012.

In a communication to Parliament, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula told members that Ichung’wah had written to him seeking consent to withdraw the proposed amendment.

Ichung’wah had proposed to make the changes in the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2023, which is sponsored by the government, and is now in the Third Reading.