The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has announced a definitive timeline for the 2026/2027 placement cycle, bringing relief to thousands of anxiety-ridden Form Four leavers.

In a press briefing held in Nairobi, KUCCPS CEO Dr. Agnes Mercy Wahome confirmed that the dedicated portal for university and college selection will officially open in March 2026. This announcement comes amid growing concerns from parents and stakeholders regarding potential delays that could disrupt the academic calendar for the incoming freshers.

Streamlining the Selection Process

The placement body has assured the public that the new system will be robust enough to handle the surge of traffic expected from the over 900,000 candidates who sat for the 2025 KCSE examinations. The March opening date is strategically set to allow for the complete verification of results and capacity declarations by institutions.

"We are finalizing the validation of programmes with the regulatory bodies," Dr. Wahome stated. "Come March, every eligible student will have a fair and seamless opportunity to interact with the system and choose their preferred courses."

• Capacity Validation: Universities are currently submitting their available slots for validation to prevent over-placement.
• Cluster Points: The weighted cluster points for all courses will be published simultaneously with the portal opening.
• Guidance Support: KUCCPS will deploy support teams across all 47 counties to assist students in rural areas with the application process.

Addressing Past Failures

The agency is keen to avoid the technical glitches that marred previous cycles, where system downtimes left students frustrated. This year, the focus is on "system resilience and user accessibility." The March window will be the first revision of choices, allowing students who applied at school level to revise their options based on their actual grades.

For parents like Mary Wanjiku, a vegetable vendor in Nairobi whose son scored a B-plain, the clarity is welcome but the cost remains a worry. "We are waiting for the portal, but we are also waiting to see the new fee structures," she told reporters. "The Higher Education Funding model is still confusing for many of us." KUCCPS has promised that the portal will clearly display the cost of each programme alongside the government scholarship eligibility.