PREMIUM Ruto, Ogamba clash on varsity fees reforms The President and his CS appear contradict each other on planned free university education. Education Just now Listen

However, a statement issued by the Ministry of Education identifies a different piece of legislation, the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, as the law intended to overhaul higher education financing from September 2026, if enacted.

According to the Ministry of Education, the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026 proposes merging the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Universities Fund and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Fund into a single body, the Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA).

On July 21, 2026, while announcing the policy at State House, Nairobi, President Ruto said free university education would be anchored in the Higher Education Loans Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which he claimed was already before Parliament.