NAIROBI — The government has placed 310,502 students in universities and colleges across Kenya, completing the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) placement process. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba confirmed the announcement during a national briefing in Nairobi on Monday.
The placements include students admitted to public universities, teacher training colleges, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. The process was conducted by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) in two phases.
Ogamba explained that the first phase targeted admissions for KMTC, national polytechnics, and public TVET institutions for the March and May intakes. The second phase focused on university and teacher training college placements for the September intake.
“This year’s placement was executed without disruptions, thanks to new digital systems and stable payment processing supported by the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services,” Ogamba stated.
Out of the 965,501 KCSE candidates, 950,711 were Kenyan citizens. A total of 244,563 qualified for degree programs after attaining C+ and above, while 706,148 met entry requirements for TVET and other diploma programs.
Ogamba noted that KUCCPS had 986,137 total placement slots available, enough to accommodate not just the 2024 candidates but also applicants from previous years. Of the 244,563 degree-qualified candidates, 201,695 applied for placement. In total, 310,502 students including both current and previous candidates have now been placed across all tertiary categories.
To meet rising demand, the government has expanded learning capacity by establishing new institutions including Kabarnet University College, Nyandarua University College, and additional KMTC and teacher training campuses in underserved areas.
“The expansion of higher education is critical to providing youth with practical skills aligned with our national development goals,” Ogamba said, referencing the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
In the teacher education sector, revised entry criteria led to increased applications. KUCCPS received 20,786 applications for the diploma in teacher education. Of the 13,823 available positions, 11,636 students have been placed.
The Kenya School of Law also joined the placement portal this year. All 500 slots for the diploma in law program were filled, driven by strong demand.
However, pressure remains high at KMTC, where 52,725 applicants competed for 34,048 slots. Nursing attracted 27,000 applicants for just 2,986 available places. Other competitive areas include clinical medicine, emergency services, and community health. In total, 25,034 students were placed at KMTC, including 6,750 who scored C+ or higher.
To increase access, Parliament allocated KSh 500 million to support KMTC students through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). Ogamba urged other ministries to provide similar support for TVET learners in their jurisdictions.
He also confirmed the opening of the Higher Education Fund portal, allowing placed students in universities and colleges to apply for financial aid. “No student will be left behind. Everyone will be supported appropriately to access education,” he said.
Ogamba encouraged students who haven’t yet applied especially those targeting KMTC and continuous TVET intakes to take advantage of ongoing admission windows.
