The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will open its placement portal by mid-March for the 2026/2027 intake, as universities prepare to admit first-year students in August.
Data from the Ministry of Education shows that about 270,000 candidates who sat the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination qualified for direct university entry.
The placement will offer thousands of candidates who sat KCSE examination a chance to apply for degree, diploma and technical courses, with universities planning to admit the new cohort by the end of August.
Vice chancellors of the more than 40 public universities who met KUCCPS chief executive officer Dr Agnes Wahome said the portal is expected to open by mid-March for the 2026/2027 placement cycle.
The chairman of the Vice Chancellors commitee Prof Daniel Mugendi said students will be required to review revised entry requirements that combine academic grades with specific competencies aligned with their career choices.
Prof Mugendi said the portal will remain open for one month to give applicants sufficient time for course selection and career guidance.
In 2025, a total of 993,226 candidates sat the KCSE examination, compared to 962,512 candidates in 2024, representing an increase of about 3.2 per cent.
A total of 1,932 candidates attained grade A in 2025, up from 1,693 candidates in 2024.
According to data from the Ministry of Education some 47,000 candidates scored a mean grade of E in the national examination, making them eligible to enrol in vocational training institutions.
“We were discussing this year’s intake and we have a clear roadmap. We invited the KUCCPS boss Dr Wahome, and her Universities Fund counterpart Edwin Wanyonyi to discuss the intake,” said Prof Mugendi.
Prof Wanyonyi said the dons are currently revising the placement criteria and hope the portal will be opened by the end of this month so that students can start applying for the intake.
Prof Mugendi, who is also the vice-chancellor of University of Embu and chair of the vice-chancellors’ forum, said universities are planning to admit first-year students by the end of August this year.
The dons also proposed a harmonised academic calendar, with most universities expected to open for the 2026/2027 academic year in August or September, while orientation for first-year students will begin in the last week of August.
On student welfare, the university leaders said they are strengthening collaboration with county security committees to enhance safety for students on and off campus.
They noted that many students live in private hostels around universities and pledged to work with county governments to enforce stricter regulations, improve street lighting and increase security patrols in student residential areas.
The vice-chancellors also called on the government to ensure the timely release of capitation and scholarship funds, saying financial predictability is essential for the smooth running of universities.
They said continued government support will help institutions maintain stability while implementing ongoing reforms in the higher education sector.
“We met in Mombasa to discuss many important issues affecting education in our universities, chief among them financial sustainability and governance of our institutions,” said Prof Mugendi.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala said vice-chancellors are speaking with one voice to strengthen the sector and improve operational and governance systems.
“It is these systems that determine the kind of outcomes we have and how they influence the progress of the country,” said Dr Inyangala
Dr Wanyonyi urged parents and guardians to encourage their children to apply for university funding and provide accurate information to ensure that the most needy students receive support.
“We do not want a situation where the most needy students miss out on funding. We are putting the final touches to allow students to apply for scholarships and loans through the Higher Education Financint portal. We will provide resources for universities for the students, but they must apply. If you don’t apply, we cannot facilitate,” said Dr Wanyonyi.
He noted that many needy students live in far-flung areas and urged Members of Parliament to mobilise their constituents to apply for the funding.
However, he said the Universities Fund has organised sensitisation forums in counties and universities to reach more needy students in remote areas.
Dr Wanyonyi explained that under the new funding model, the most needy students receive the highest support package, consisting of 55 per cent scholarship for tuition fees, 35 per cent loan from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and 10 per cent household contribution.
