Kenya: Revised Law to Centralize University Placement Regardless of Sponsorship
Nairobi — The Ministry of Education is mulling an amendment to the Universities Act to allow centralized placement of both State-sponsored and self-sponsored students to higher learning institutions under KUCCPS.
An amendment to Article 56 (1) (a) will see the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) extend its reach on admissions beyond government-sponsored students.
The amendment will also mandate KUCCPS to place international students in both public and private universities.
“Once we have delinked funding and placement, it gives us an opportunity to house as many institutions as we can,” KUCCPS CEO Mercy Wahome said on Saturday.
“This will be a good thing as it will give the students a centralized place for information,” she added.
With the shrinking resources against an increasing student population, the government has been facing financial hurdles in sponsoring and financing students across the universities and tertiary institutions.
Wahome said the proposed changes will also align to President William Ruto’s administration policy to adopt a needs-based sponsorship criteria that will award varying amounts in scholarships based on a student’s financial background.
“When we are talking of budget cuts in government and the population is growing how do you continue having government-sponsored and yet we are sponsoring everyone. We need to amend the act to remove the [focus] on government-sponsored aspect,” she said.
Revised funding model
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Wahome’s comments come at a time government has announced wide-ranging changes that will see public university funding reviewed from university-based to student-based.
The new plan will scrap the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) model that saw government pay 80 per cent while students cleared the remaining 20 per cent regardless of financial standing.
KUCCPS will be placing 173,027 of 869,782 KCSE (2022) candidates who met the minimum threshold for university admission.
The 173,027 students who attained C+ and above will apply for courses based on cluster weight, the cost of course and their preferred learning institutions.
Students set to join universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions have started making their applications after KUCCPS opened its portal on May 17.
Universities are required to provide details on the cost of their programs to guide students in making their choices.
“In this new system Universities must attract students by ensuring that the courses offered have a relationship with the job market,” Wahome said.
KUCCPS was created under the Universities Act No.42 of 2012 with a mandate over all government-based university and college placements.
It succeeded the Joint Admissions Board (JAB).
