An admissions crisis in the universities and other problems pose serious challenges for new applicants and continuing students. They are frustrated by the limited university places. Capacity shortfalls have become quite evident in the 2026/2027 placement results.
There is a scramble for slots as some of the 268,700 candidates who qualified for placement in degree programmes in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination seek transfers.
They do not have enough time, as some universities will be reopening this month and others early next month. Of the total qualifiers, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS) placed 202,133 in degree courses in the private and public universities. The demand for popular programmes is outstripping the approved capacity, as some students seek transfers.
The agency has opened a window for those unsatisfied with their placement to seek transfers. Those who had missed out can also apply. Some students have expressed frustration that, whereas they qualify, they may still be locked out. This means that those targeting in-demand courses could be forced to consider alternative institutions or programmes.
The capacity hitch is more pronounced in the popular programmes. They include medical courses. The 2026/2027 placement revealed that 6,500 candidates had, for instance, applied for medicine, and yet there are only 702 available places in the private and private universities. It highlights a huge disparity between demand for courses and the available places.
This new crisis comes hot on the heels of the student funding confusion. The new student-centred higher education funding model has left families struggling to raise mandatory registration fees, ranging from Sh3,000 to Sh50,000 as loan disbursements from the Higher Education Loans Board are delayed.
President William Ruto’s recent announcement of a new universal 100 per cent government funding model for all, making parental contributions optional, sparked mixed reactions over its financial viability. Universities should invest in the expansion of capacities for popular programmes to accommodate students in their preferred courses.
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