Ministry of Education has announced conclusion of placement of 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates to institutions of higher learning, with 310,502, who include the previous year’s cohort enrolled in various degree programmes.

Speaking at a media briefing, Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Ogamba officially announced that the placement process for students joining universities, teacher training colleges, Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions is now complete.

Prof Ogamba said this year’s placement, done by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), was conducted in two phases.

“The first phase targeted students seeking opportunities at KMTC, national polytechnics and TVET institutions to facilitate their admission for the March and May intakes,” he said.

Successful applicants had already commenced their studies.

Ogamba elaborated that the second phase focused on students who had applied for university degrees nd teacher training colleges for the September intake. He noted that the placement process was executed without technical issues, crediting recent technological enhancement and the support of the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services for ensuring a stable payment system.

He disclosed that out of the 965,501 candidates who sat for 2024 KCSE examinations, 950,711 were Kenyan citizens. Of this, 244,563 students attained a mean grade of C+ and above, qualifying for admission to degree programmes, while 706,148 qualified for placement to TVET institutions and other tertiary programmes.

“There were 986,137 total placement opportunities, enough to accommodate all 2024 KCSE candidates as well as those from previous years,” he assured.

Ogamba added that the government has also expanded capacity through the establishment of Kabarnet University College and Nyandarua University College, additional KMTC campuses such as West Pokot, and a new teacher training colleges in northern Kenya.

He reiterated that the government is prioritizing the expansion of higher education to equip the youth with relevant skills to drive the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

“The growth of medical training institutions aims to develop a skilled health workforce for Universal Health Coverage. Likewise, digital hubs and TVET expansion are aligned with the government’s vision in agriculture, housing, and digital economy,” stated the CS.

Out of 244,563 eligible candidates for university placement, Ogamba announced that 201,695 (83 per cent) applied for various programmes as he pointed out that a total of 310,502 students comprising the 2024 cohort and those from previous years have now been placed in universities, TVET, KMTC and teacher training colleges.

In the teacher education sector, the minister noted that reforms following recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms led to revised minimum entry requirements, resulting in increased enrolment.

“KUCCPS received 20,786 applications for diploma in teacher education against a capacity of 13,823. Of these, 11,636 were placed,” he said.

Ogamba also confirmed that the Kenya School of Law’s diploma in law programme was introduced into the placement portal this year, with all 500 slots filled due to overwhelming interest.

However, for KMTC, the cabinet secretary noted, 52,725 qualified applicants vied for the 34,048 available slots citing nursing programmes, which attracted the highest number of applicants 27,000 for a combined capacity of 2,986.

“Other high-demand areas include clinical medicine, community health and emergency medical services,” he highlighted, saying that a total of 25,034 students have been placed in KMTC, including 6,750 with C+ and above.

To support access, Ogamba proclaimed that Parliament has allocated Ksh500 million to enable KMTC students to apply for financial aid through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and urged other ministries to set aside funds to support students in TVET institutions under their docket.

He confirmed that the higher education fund application portal is now open to support students in universities and colleges.

“No student will be left behind and all will be supported appropriately to access education,” he assured.

Ogamba encouraged those who have not yet applied to take advantage of the ongoing applications, particularly for KMTC and continuous TVET admissions.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Victor Kiplagat and George Gerish