KUCCPS places 310,502 students in universities, colleges

The Government has successfully concluded the placement of the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates to institutions of higher learning across the Country.

Speaking during a media briefing, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education, Julius Migos Ogamba, officially announced that the placement process for students joining universities, teacher training colleges, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions was now complete.

According to Ogamba, this year’s placement, carried out by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), was conducted in two phases.

“The First Phase targeted students seeking opportunities at KMTC, national polytechnics, and public TVET institutions to facilitate their admission for the March and May intakes,” he disclosed, adding that successful applicants have already commenced their studies.

Ogamba reported that the Second Phase was focused on students applying to universities and teacher training colleges for the September intake.

The CS noted that the placement process was executed without technical issues, crediting recent technological enhancements and the support of the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services for ensuring a stable payment system.

He revealed that of the 965,501 candidates who sat for the 2024 KCSE exams, 950,711 were Kenyan citizens. Of this,244,563 students attained a mean grade of C+ and above, qualifying for admission to degree programmes, while 706,148 qualified for placement to TVET institutions and other tertiary programmes.

“There were 986,137 total placement opportunities, enough to accommodate all 2024 KCSE candidates as well as those from previous years,” he assured.

Ogamba added that the government has also expanded capacity through the establishment of Kabarnet University College and Nyandarua University College, additional KMTC campuses such as West Pokot, and new teacher training colleges in Northern Kenya.

He reiterated that the government is prioritising the expansion of higher education to equip the youth with relevant skills to drive the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

“The growth of medical training institutions aims to develop a skilled health workforce for Universal Health Coverage. Likewise, digital hubs and TVET expansion are aligned with the government’s vision in agriculture, housing, and digital economy,” stated the CS.

Out of the 244,563 eligible candidates for university placement, Ogamba announced that 201,695 (83 percent) applied for various programmes, adding that a total of 310,502 students comprising the 2024 cohort and those from previous years have now been placed in universities, TVET, KMTC, and teacher training colleges.

In the teacher education sector, the CS noted that reforms following recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms led to revised minimum entry requirements, resulting in increased enrollment.

“KUCCPS received 20,786 applications for diploma in teacher education against a capacity of 13,823. Of these, 11,636 were successfully placed,” he asserted.

Ogamba also confirmed that the Kenya School of Law’s Diploma in Law programme was introduced into the placement portal this year, with all 500 slots filled due to overwhelming interest.

However, for KMTC, the CS noted that 52,725 qualified applicants competed for the 34,048 available slots citing Nursing programmes which attracted the highest number of applicants, 27,000, for a combined capacity of 2,986.

“Other high-demand areas include clinical medicine, community health, and emergency medical services,” he highlighted, saying that a total of 25,034 students have been placed in KMTC, including 6,750 with C+ and above.

To support access, Ogamba proclaimed that Parliament has allocated Sh 500 million to enable KMTC students to apply for financial aid through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and urged other ministries to set aside funds to support students in TVET institutions under their docket.

He further confirmed that the Higher Education Fund application portal is now open to support students placed in universities and colleges.

“No student will be left behind and all will be supported appropriately to access education,” he assured.

Ogamba encouraged those who have not yet applied to take advantage of the ongoing applications, particularly for KMTC and continuous TVET admissions.