The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has clarified the delay in opening applications for university placement, citing legal challenges surrounding the new university funding model.
Speaking before Members of Parliament, KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Agnes Wahome attributed the delay to a court ruling by Justice Chacha Mwita on December 20, 2023, which declared the funding model unconstitutional.
According to Wahome, the judgment did not provide clear guidance on how to handle students, including those already placed in various courses. As a result, KUCCPS opted to halt the application process to avoid a potential funding crisis in higher education.
To resolve the uncertainty, KUCCPS has filed a legal request seeking a suspension or stay of execution of the ruling. Wahome expressed optimism that the court would provide clarity soon.
“We have gone to court and filed a request that the court suspends or grants a stay of execution of the judgment given on December 20,” she stated.
“We are happy the matter was taken as urgent, and we are now awaiting a ruling next week. That decision will guide us on when to open the placement portal,” Wahome added.
Despite the suspension of university placement applications, Wahome clarified that students applying for technical vocational education and training (TVET) and Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) courses can still proceed.
“We have kept the portal open for TVET and KMTC applications as we wait for a decision regarding university placements,” she explained.
Justice Mwita had ruled that the government’s new university funding model violated students’ legitimate expectations and was implemented without adequate public participation. He emphasized that the government has a constitutional obligation to fund public universities and that shifting the financial burden to parents was unlawful.
“The changes in the funding model did not adhere to the necessary legal provisions in its creation,” Mwita noted.
Following the ruling, both the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) have filed an appeal, warning that the decision could disrupt university operations due to delays in student funding.
