Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has directed the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to reopen applications for students who missed the just-concluded 2026/2027 placement cycle, saying no eligible candidate should be left behind.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking during the release of the 2026/2027 university and college placement results on Wednesday, July 8, Ogamba said the placement agency had been instructed to immediately develop a mechanism that would allow late applications for candidates who failed to submit their choices during the initial application window.

"We recognise that some eligible students did not apply for placement because they may have opted to seek alternative pathways to higher education and training. Still, some of them may have missed the opportunity to apply because of other circumstances,” Ogamba said.

“I have directed the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service to immediately devise a mechanism to allow late applications for placement. Our clarion call is that no student should be left behind," he directed.

📌 What You Need to Know

He urged all eligible candidates who missed the application window to take advantage of the new opportunity once it is announced, reiterating the government's commitment to ensuring every qualified learner has access to higher education.

The directive came as KUCCPS released placement results for 293,869 students who secured slots in universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The placement results showed that thousands of students who were eligible for university admission did not submit applications through KUCCPS despite attaining the minimum grade for degree programmes.

Of the 980,535 candidates who sat the 2025 KCSE examination, 268,729 attained a mean grade of C+ and above, qualifying them for degree courses.

However, only 202,133 secured degree placements, while a further 8,915 students who qualified for university opted for TVET and other non-degree programmes. This leaves about 57,681 degree-qualified candidates who did not secure a university placement through the current exercise.

Ogamba said the government believes many of the students may have chosen alternative pathways, including joining the disciplined forces, pursuing studies abroad, enrolling as self-sponsored students in universities and colleges, or taking up other opportunities outside the KUCCPS placement system.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke