HANGING BY A THREAD: The Silent Struggles of University Students in Kenya
For many university students in Kenya, the dream of higher education comes with sleepless nights, empty plates and quiet resilience.
In Kenya, or anywhere in the world really, an acceptance letter to university or a higher learning institution is widely celebrated as the ultimate symbol of success; the golden ticket. For generations of families, it represents more than just a degree; it signifies hope, social mobility, and the most reliable pathway out of poverty. But for a growing number of students, the cherished dream of higher education is quietly turning into a crushing test of survival.
For many university students in Kenya, the dream of higher education comes with sleepless nights, empty plates, and quiet resilience.
In Kenya — or anywhere in the world, really — an acceptance letter to a university or higher learning institution is widely celebrated as the ultimate symbol of success; the golden ticket. For generations of families, it represents more than just a degree; it signifies hope, social mobility, and the most reliable pathway out of poverty.
But for a growing number of students, the cherished dream of higher education is quietly turning into a crushing test of survival.
Across campuses today, a silent, pervasive crisis is unfolding. Many young people arrive with high hopes from humble backgrounds, only to be immediately confronted by a painful reality: the cost of living. Tuition, rent, and basic upkeep expenses are escalating faster than their families can cope. The excitement of admission quickly turns into a desperate, daily effort to stay afloat.
To survive, students are forced to enter what we can call the exhaustion economy. They become expert jugglers, stretching themselves thin between demanding class schedules and relentless part-time work. You’ll find them everywhere: pulling late shifts waiting tables at clubs, tutoring complex subjects for peanuts, running small clothes resale businesses from their dorm rooms, or spending hours online completing paid assignments for others.
Some even turn to shady businesses or illicit activities to supplement their income. This constant hustle comes at a harsh price: chronic sleep deprivation, skipped meals, and sometimes, total isolation from peers — all necessary steps to pinch enough shillings for the next fee instalment and upkeep.
A number often succumb to the strain and end up abandoning school. The sustained pressure often pushes a generation toward crippling anxiety and depression.
“People assume being in university is the easy part, that all the hard work is done once you get admitted,” says Faith, a final-year student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. “But sometimes, you go to class completely hungry. It’s impossible to focus on a lecture when you genuinely don’t know where your next meal or rent is coming from. That financial stress changes everything about the experience. It gets worse when the ones we depend on for support turn to us.”
But there are success stories amidst this pool of struggle. Naomi, a Criminology student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, has single-handedly managed to pay her fees and upkeep throughout campus by selling goods online.
“It’s tough, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she says. “I’ve learned to be resilient and resourceful at an early age.” Naomi will be graduating this year, and all the struggle she has had to put up with will be worthwhile.
The rising volume of students seeking higher learning underscores the depth of the systemic problem. According to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), university enrolment has continued to rise steadily over the past decade. Yet, the nation’s financial support infrastructure has failed to expand at the same rate.
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) — the lifeblood for many aspiring graduates — is frequently struggling with severe budget constraints. This leaves thousands of eligible students with only partial awards or forces them to wait through long, frustratingly delayed disbursements. For a student relying on that money for rent, a two-month delay can mean eviction, adding acute stress to an already fragile academic life.
Education experts argue that this points to deeper flaws: unsustainably high tuition fees, limited government funding for student aid, and a struggling job market that offers few stable, well-paying part-time roles. When a student’s academic life depends entirely on a weak financial lifeline from home, any small economic setback in the family can trigger an immediate academic and emotional collapse.
“We are seeing students break down under this unbearable weight of financial pressure,” explains Dr. Brillian, a counselling psychologist. “The connection between mental health and financial stability is direct and undeniable, yet most universities have minimal capacity or resources to support students in severe distress. The system is designed to admit them, but not necessarily to sustain them.”
The Need for True Investment
The consequences of this quiet crisis stretch far beyond the individual student. When young people are forced to focus primarily on bare survival rather than deep learning, the overall quality of education and the nation’s potential for innovation are inevitably diminished.
Compounding this, the acute social stigma around poverty often prevents students from speaking up or seeking help, deepening their isolation.
To create an environment that truly honours the promise of higher education, stakeholders are calling for urgent, widespread reforms. Proposals include a substantial increase to the HELB budget, strengthening local bursary programmes, and mandating dedicated, paid work-study initiatives across all universities.
While some institutions are making progress with peer counselling and mentorship programs, the scale of the challenge requires a national, coordinated response.
University life should fundamentally be a period of growth, learning, and discovery. By bringing these hidden battles into the light, Kenya can start the critical conversations necessary to ensure that the dream of education is truly accessible, sustainable, and supportive for all its citizens.
