University applicants in Kenya may soon gain greater control over their course selections, if a new parliamentary proposal is implemented. The proposal aims to reform the current student placement process by allowing individual preferences to take precedence over institutional or national balancing considerations.
At present, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) assigns students to programmes based on a combination of factors, including available slots, performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), and the need for equitable distribution across institutions. This system often places students into courses that are not among their top choices, a practice that has sparked frustration for years.
The issue came under scrutiny during a session of the Public Investments Committee on Education and Governance, which included representatives from KUCCPS and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). Lawmakers at the session called for a student-first approach that would prioritize individual career ambitions over institutional quotas.
Under the current system, students select multiple courses when applying, provided they meet the minimum subject and cluster requirements. Those with the highest scores are more likely to get into competitive programmes. However, if preferred options are full, students may be redirected to less popular courses that still match their qualifications.
KUCCPS also balances student numbers across institutions for national equity, often assigning students to different universities or courses than those they initially chose. MPs argue this practice undermines personal choice and contributes to dissatisfaction among students.
In addition to placement concerns, lawmakers also raised questions about KUCCPS’s sponsorship of students at private universities, despite many public universities operating below capacity. Kilome MP Thuddeus Nzambia, who chairs the committee, criticized the allocation of public funds to private institutions without a clear framework.
“We must hold institutions accountable when taxpayer money is diverted to private universities while public ones are underutilized,” Nzambia said.
Lawmakers demanded transparency in the placement process, requesting detailed data on how students are distributed across institutions, capacity disclosures from private universities, and tracking mechanisms post-placement.
Responding to the concerns, KUCCPS CEO Agnes Wahome assured the committee that the agency has developed digital systems and policy frameworks to monitor student placements and enrollment trends.
The proposed reforms signal a possible shift toward more student-centered university admissions in Kenya, with the potential to reshape the higher education landscape by giving learners more control over their academic and career paths
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