More than 42,000 candidates who qualified for university admission after sitting the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) did not apply for placement through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), government data has revealed.
According to the Ministry of Education, only 201,695 out of the 244,563 candidates who attained the minimum university entry grade of C+ and above submitted applications during the just-concluded placement cycle.
This means 42,868 eligible candidates, or about 17 per cent of the candidates, did not seek placement into degree or tertiary programmes through the official government platform.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, while releasing the placement results at Jogoo House, urged the unplaced candidates to take advantage of continuous intakes in various institutions.
"I encourage those who have not applied to do so and apply for programmes in our universities including the Open University of Kenya and other tertiary institutions such as KMTC whose intake is continuous," said Ogamba who was flanked by Higher Education PS Beatrice Inyangala and Basic Education PS Julius Bitok.
Despite missing out on the initial placement cycle, eligible candidates still have multiple pathways to higher education.
Institutions like the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and many TVET colleges conduct continuous intakes throughout the year, with the KUCCPS set to accept a second round of applications for the KMTC September intake.
This year, KUCCPS had 986,137 available placement slots, enough to accommodate all 2024 KCSE candidates and even those from previous years. Universities alone declared a capacity of 300,000 slots for degree programmes, all approved by the Commission for University Education (CUE) based on available infrastructure.
Out of the total 965,501 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE, 244,563 scored C+ and above, qualifying for degree courses, while the remaining 706,148 were eligible for TVET and other technical training programmes.
So far, KUCCPS has placed 194,372 candidates into various degree and tertiary programmes, accounting for 79.4 per cent of the C+ and above cohort. Of this lot, 162,252 have been placed in public universities while 17,873 were placed in private universities.
Some 7,640 candidates who attained C+ and above chose TVET courses over university education, while another 6,750 candidates opted to join Kenya Medical Training College (Kmtc) and teacher training colleges, highlighting growing interest in healthcare and education-related careers.
Dr Ogamba said that Kabarnet University College and Nyandarua University College are among new public institutions opened this year to increase access to higher education. More KMTC campuses, such as the new West Pokot College, have also been launched, while new TTCs have helped expand choices for teacher training.
KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Agnes Mercy Wahome.
Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group
“Among the most sought-after programmes were engineering, medicine, nursing, and education, while agriculture also recorded a remarkable rise in interest, making it the most improved programme this year,” said Ogamba.
In the just concluded placement cycle, some 18,677 students were locked out of KMTC placement due to limited slots available. Data from KUCCPS shows 52, 725 qualified students applied against a capacity of 34, 048.
The 25,034 students that have been placed so far in KMTC includes 6,750 candidates who attained a C+ and above in the 2024 KCSE. Notably, the diploma and certificate in nursing programme with a capacity of 2,986, attracted over 27,000 applicants, signaling sustained demand for health-related careers.
Other KMTC programmes that are on high demand include clinical medicine and surgery, medical emergency technician and community health.
In a major boost for medical training students, Parliament allocated Sh500 million to facilitate the disbursement of financial support through the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) for KMTC learners.
“This means that those who have been placed by KUCCPS to KMTC can now apply for financial support from the Helb,” he said.
He noted as the government continues with its efforts to expand Tvet opportunities there is a growing need for the financial support for the students enrolling in tvet institutions
“To supplement the funds already allocated to the Tvet and Helb, we will be inviting other ministries to set aside funds that can be allocated to the HELB to administer as a revolving fund for supporting students enrolled in institutions under those ministries,” the CS said.
The Higher Education Fund (HEF) portal has also been reopened, allowing placed students to apply for government scholarships and loans based on an enhanced Means Testing Instrument (MTI), which has been revised to improve accuracy and fairness in funding allocations.
“We have increased the variables in the MTI to capture details like school fees, parents' income, medical expenses, and previous sponsorships. This ensures those in genuine need are not left behind,” said Ogamba.
In March, the Court of Appeal overturned a 2024 High Court decision that had deemed the student-centred funding model discriminatory and unconstitutional, paving way for its reinstatement.
