Infobytes – English

The Universities Fund (UF) is established under Section 53 of the Universities Act, 2012. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees known as the Universities Fund Board (UFB), which has been in operation since 2016. The specific functions of the trustees include advising the Cabinet Secretary on matters of university education financing, developing a fair and transparent criterion for the allocation of funds to universities, apportioning funds to universities, establishing the Maximum Differentiated Unit Cost for the programmes offered, and mobilising and receiving funds for the Fund from the Government, donors, and any other sources. The Universities Fund also provides scholarships under the new higher education funding model, which emphasizes a student’s financial need rather than the traditional block funding to institutions.

The roads’ sector plays a key role in the country’s development, serving as the cornerstone for transport and logistics. Over the years, the Government has invested heavily in expanding and improving the road network to support economic growth, reduce travel time, enhance connectivity and boost exports. In this edition of InfoBytes, we break down for you how the Government plans to better the road sector in the next five years.

Uasin Gishu County will now host the newest city in Kenya, Eldoret. Eldoret, which has been conferred a City Status, is a well known treasure in the Rift Valley. It is the home of Moi University and the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, one of the best health facilities in the region.

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) is an independent national institution established to oversee and regulate the media industry. MCK sets and enforces standards for journalists and media institutions to ensure ethical and professional journalism.

Kenya has in the recent couple of days been engulfed in debate on the Finance Bill 2024. A debate that has united Kenyans and also enabled Government get valuable feedback from the citizenry. An informed and involved citizenry is a pride of a nation and a government.

The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) undertakes objective public policy research and provides insightful analysis on critical policy issues. The Institute also builds capacity and provides platforms for policy engagement and dialogues.

Kenyans got some relief after the government made changes to some of its tax proposals contained in the Finance Bill 2024 after listening to suggestions from the public. President William Ruto said the changes to the Finance Bill have taken into account the views of the people and other stakeholders during public participation sessions. The amendments include the removal of the proposed 16 per cent VAT on bread, transportation of sugar, financial services, foreign exchange transactions as well as the 2.5 per cent Motor Vehicle Tax. Read more

The National Treasury on Thursday presented the country’s Sh 3.9 trillion Budget for the financial year 2024/25, which seeks to enhance economic growth after a positive surge in 2023. Prof. Njuguna Ngung’u, the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, said the Budget prioritises expanding the economy by 5.5 per cent, driven by continued support for agriculture, the digital economy and small businesses.