Over 700,000 KCSE candidates yet to be placed in colleges or training centres, KUCCPS reveals
Out of the 961,144 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE, only 246,165 can be traced in the university placement system.
At least 700,000 learners who scored between grade C plain and E in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) are yet to be placed in any diploma, certificate, or artisan programme, according to fresh data presented by the placement agency, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
Out of the 961,144 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE, only 246,165 can be traced in the university placement system. KUCCPS notes that these are the candidates who scored C+ and above and qualified for university admission.
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Data presented by Kuccps showed that degree course qualifiers comprised: A plain, 7,728; A- (minus), 71,695; B+ (plus), 19,131; B plain, 43,103; B- (minus), 75,268 and C+ (plus), 99,240, bringing the total to 246,165.
The remaining 711,389 candidates, who did not meet the degree cut-off but qualified for diploma, certificate and artisan courses, were not captured in the official placement records. Under KUCCPS rules, a C- is required for diploma programmes, a D plain for craft certificates and an E for artisan training.
“This raises several concerns because we have not been able to really track them,” KUCCP CEO Alice Wahome told the Senate Education Committee on Friday in Mombasa, prompting legislators to demand answers from the Ministry of Education.
She also revealed that 3,590 candidates were classified as ‘U’ (Ungraded) after opting to re-sit Biology or Chemistry to qualify for admission into medical training colleges.
“Out of the 961,144 candidates, around 246,165 scored C+ and above, qualifying to pursue a degree course,” Wahome said.
During the 2025/2026 placement cycle, 338,955 students applied and secured admission to universities and colleges. Of these, 182,241 were placed in degree programmes, 105,757 in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, 38,653 in Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) across 90 campuses, 500 in the Diploma in Law (Paralegal Studies) at the Kenya School of Law and 11,804 in teachers’ training colleges.
“We ensure no child is left behind,” Wahome said, noting that some 25,000 students who had qualified for degree programmes opted for non-degree courses in colleges and TVET institutions.
She added that students who selected private universities are allowed a one-month window for inter-institutional transfers and may change programmes within the same or a different institution within two years of reporting.
The crisis highlights systemic gaps in Kenya’s transition from secondary to tertiary education, with fears that the lack of an effective tracking system could exacerbate youth unemployment, social discontent and wasted human capital.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba had earlier admitted, on June 1, that about 50,000 students from the 2024 KCSE cohort were unaccounted for by KUCCPS. This figure included more than 42,000 eligible candidates who never applied for placement, and nearly 7,000 who applied but were not placed.
In 2023, former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu also conceded that over 631,000 eligible learners were left out of placement. At the time, KUCCPS admitted it had no system to determine whether the candidates had joined private colleges, pursued education abroad or abandoned higher learning altogether.
While KUCCPS has since introduced digital tracking through the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), current data suggests that the state still lacks visibility on school leavers, particularly those enrolling in private institutions and informal training centres.
Wahome said the 2025/2026 placement cycle prioritised the 2024 KCSE cohort but also catered to candidates from the year 2000 onwards who applied for other programmes. Placement was based on merit, student choices and affirmative action policies.
The government has now been urged to expand access to technical and vocational training, seen as a viable alternative to universities, as pressure mounts to ensure no student is left behind in the transition from secondary school.
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