The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has decried low universities and college placement uptake by eligible candidates from the North Eastern region.
Speaking when she toured the Garissa Huduma Centre today, KUCCPS CEO Dr. Agnes Mercy Wahome said that most students in the region might have low access to the information on placement or lack of internet services in their localities making it hard for them to apply.
“We have seen low numbers of applications from the North Eastern region because once the students leave school and are back in their rural areas some are not able to get the information in time and thus miss out the opportunities,” Dr. Wahome said.
The CEO said KUCCPS will partner with Huduma centres across the country to offer placement services adding they will work with county commissioners and local administrators to make sure that they reach every student who needs to further their studies.
Devolving their services to Huduma centres means that students will no longer be required to travel to Nairobi for enquiries thus easing the whole process.
“We have devolved our services from Nairobi to all Huduma Centres across the country. We have also engaged with the Huduma cyber to offer internet services for those who want to make the applications online,” Dr. Wahome said.
KUCCPS has also partnered with ICT Authority to provide free internet services in Huduma centres to allow students to access online services and make their applications by June 2.
Dr. Wahome noted that students who sat for their KCSE in 2021 will be placed in 70 universities both private and public and 190 tertiary institutions which will include The Kenya Wildlife College, Marine Academy in Mombasa, Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, Kenya Railways among others.
All the 144,466 who scored a grade of C+ and above are qualified to apply for degree courses and will be placed in public and private universities while those with grade C and below will be placed in tertiary institutions.
She urged ministries which have training institutions to avail their courses to them where Kenyans will have easy access.
The CEO further encouraged those who scored lower grades to come out and apply for courses which are readily available for them.
“The government has opportunities for everyone. As we look at the direction we are going, grades don’t define who the people are and so even that student with an ‘E’, we have courses for them at artisan level, D- students can start at Artisan II and for D, D+ can start at certificate level,” she said
“There have no failures in Kenya but we havepeople with different capacities and gifts. Those are the ones that we want to tap and ensure that everyone gets a place in the society,” she noted.
On Wednesday, Azimio OKA presidential running mate Martha Karua while addressing Maendeleo ya Wanawake rally in Garissa said that she consult with her presidential candidate Raila Odinga on how best to lower entry grades for candidates from marginalized communities intending to join teacher-training colleges were lowered for the people of North Eastern.
“I can’t promise you but I will work with my leader Raila Odinga so that once he gets into power to consider reducing entry grades for our children in this region who want to join teachers’ training colleges,” Karua said.
Kenyans who sat for their KCSE between 2000 and 2021 also have an opportunity to apply for admission in tertiary institutions through the placement service.
