Concerns As Only 150k Students Apply For Degree Courses In Latest KUCCPS Placement

• Over 600,000 2023 KCSE candidates did not submit applications to secure placement at Kenyan universities despite the availability of over one million slots
• KUCCPS CEO Agnes Wahome said joining universities is a choice and not mandatory suggesting that most students could have joined the military or opted to study abroad
• According to KUCCPS, most students who applied for placement preferred bachelor in education and diploma programmes

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has unveiled the placements for the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates.

How many students did KUCCPS expect?

According to KUCCPS, 85% of the 2023 KCSE candidates who scored C+ and above submitted applications. Among them, 76.2% chose degree courses, while the remaining percentage opted for diploma programs (11,991 applicants).

Interestingly, despite higher learning institutions offering 1,078,806 slots, a significant number of candidates opted for diploma courses.

"The total available capacity for training declared by universities and colleges was 1,078,806 which far exceeds the total number of students who did KCSE last year," KUCCPS Board Chairman, Cyrus Gituai said.

Following the examination results' release, KUCCPS anticipated 895,000 applications but was surprised to receive only about 300,000 submissions, despite extending the application deadlines.

According to the results, 153,301 candidates enrolled in degree programs, with 134,743 set to join public universities and 18,558 opting for private institutions.

Which programme was most preferred according to KUCCPS?

The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) also facilitated KUCCPS' placement of 19,653 students for this year's academic calendar.

Male applicants continued to dominate placements in degree programs, continuing a trend seen since the inception of the central placement system.

Among degree programs, Bachelor of Education attracted the highest number of applications.

How to check KUCCPS placement result

To access their placement results, students are encouraged to visit http://students.kuccps.net and check the details of their university or college placement.

Reactions on failure to apply for KUCCPS placement

Despite KUCCPS CEO Agnes Wahome's acknowledgement of some students opting for military service or studying abroad, the low application numbers have stirred reactions from many students.

Stevoh Kinya Castro said:

"When we tell you this nation is sinking, believe it, you remember when there would be one graduation in the entire village and people would flock there to witness the magic! It will be tears soonest. Your Kaunda man wants the youths docile for handouts so that he can always scheme his way through positions of power! I weep for this nation!"

Chris Kahuria - Author & Influencer observed:

"I always insist that someone should pursue a career of their choice, even if they have to start at a certificate level. Forget your high school grades and pursue your passion. Our universities do not offer this chance. Most students are pursuing courses they have no interest in just to get a degree and that degree ends up being a degree of bondage instead of being a degree of freedom."

Diorkid Diorkid replied:

"University ni place unaishia kuwaste time ukingoja Miaka za kuwa hawker zifike."

Kwabi Ke said:

"And why should they even apply? For what purpose exactly? Education in Kenya is meaningless nowadays, let those applying use those fees to generate business."

Shendrack Wambua said:

"The fee issue, ain't a joke! People are struggling out here! Ain't a guardian but can feel the impact."

Kios Vinny

"I think the problem here is placement itself. You find you want to be an engineer and end up being allocated an economics course. Universities aren't also flexible on changing courses so someone decides to follow his engineering career in a Technical Tertiary Institution."

Students register frustrations during KUCCPS applications

Meanwhile, when the portal was initially opened for placement applications, students encountered a lot of challenges.

Some of them noted that they were forced to wait late in the night with hopes of successfully submitting their applications, but their efforts went in vain.

Additionally, cyber operators who offered to help the students expressed frustrations as their expectations were unmet.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke