Why KUCCPS Is Withholding Student Placement Lists for Some Institutions

KUCCPS Opens Late Application For Degrees With Instant Placement

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has withheld student placement lists and admission data from some higher education institutions over unpaid placement fees, with the outstanding debt amounting to Ksh 500 million.

The issue came up when the National Assembly Education Committee reviewed KUCCPS’s budget for the 2025/2026 financial year.

Appearing before Parliament, Chief Executive Officer Agnes Wahome said the education body resorted to withholding student placement and admission data as a measure to compel institutions with outstanding debts to settle their balances.

The CEO said KUCCPS charges institutions a one-off Ksh1,500 placement fee for each student placed. However, several institutions, mainly universities, have failed to remit the fees, resulting in the accumulated debt.

KUCCPS Told to Name Institutions Defaulting on Placement Fees

During the committee meeting chaired by Education Committee Chairperson Julius Melly, KUCCPS said it had about Ksh300 million in unpaid placement fees.

According to a statement dated September 9, the Education Committee asked KUCCPS to disclose the categories of institutions that have failed to remit the fees, including whether they are public universities, private colleges or TVET institutions.

Committee Vice-Chairperson Eve Obara also questioned the measures KUCCPS was taking to recover the outstanding money.

Also Read: KUCCPS Issues Fresh Update on KMTC September Intake Placement

She asked KUCCPS to explain why its placement fee collections had fallen below the target and what legal or administrative action was being taken against institutions that had failed to pay.

“Table 3 shows that placement fees underperformed (Kshs. 261.57 million actual vs. Kshs. 284.16 million target) because ‘not all institutions were able to honour their obligations. Which categories of institutions (public universities, private colleges, or TVETs) are defaulting on these remittances, and what legal or administrative recourse is KUCCPS taking to recover these debts?” Hon. Obara asked.

KUCCPS reported that it had collected Ksh261.57 million in placement fees against a target of Ksh284.16 million during the financial year.

Wahome attributed the shortfall partly to institutions failing to honour their payment obligations.

She said the placement fees are charged after KUCCPS places students in institutions and validates their details every semester.

Universities Agree to Clear Outstanding Fees

Wahome told the committee that some universities had agreed to clear their outstanding debts through instalment payments.

According to the CEO, the institutions had signed agreements with KUCCPS to begin paying the accumulated fees in instalments from the current financial year.

The placement service also raised concerns over institutions disputing some of the fees invoiced to them.

Also Read: KUCCPS Reopens Degree Applications for Students Who Missed 2022 to 2026 University Placement

She noted that some institutions claimed that certain students had not reported to their campuses and therefore questioned the placement fees charged.

However, KUCCPS said some of the same institutions later listed the students as enrolled when applying for government capitation and scholarships through the Universities Fund.

KUCCPS further told the committee that it had an approved budget of Ksh796.5 million for the financial year, which was entirely internally generated.

The placement service recorded an 89 per cent budget absorption rate, spending Ksh710 million.

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