MPs grill KUCCPS CEO Agnes Wahome over student placement to private universities
Members of Parliament (MPs) have questioned the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) over several issues raised in a Special Audit Report.
The MPs drawn from Public Investments Committee on Education and Governance of the National Assembly on Wednesday, June 4, 2024, expressed concern about the decision to sponsor students in private universities, when public universities reportedly have enough capacity to admit all qualifying candidates.
The committee chaired by Kilome MP Thuddeus Nzambia pressed KUCCPS CEO Agnes Wahome to explain why public funds were directed to private institutions without a clear policy.
“We must ask tough questions when taxpayers’ money is used to support private universities while public ones remain underutilized,” Nzambia said.
Student placement process
The MPs further questioned the transparency and accountability of the placement process, and requested a breakdown of student placements by institution, capacity declarations from private universities, and systems for monitoring students after placement.
Wahome explained that KUCCPS had developed a digital platform and policy guidelines to help track student enrollment and placement. However, the committee insisted on receiving documented evidence.
KICD grilled
The spotlight also turned to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), which was questioned over allegations of financial mismanagement.
A key issue raised was the printing of nearly one million French textbooks — despite the language being offered in only a limited number of schools. MPs criticized the mismatch between resource allocation and actual demand, pointing to surplus books in some schools and severe shortages in others.
“How do you justify such a glaring mismatch between supply and actual student needs?” Isiolo County Woman MP Mumina Bonaya asked.
The committee has called for stronger coordination between the State Department for Education and its agencies. A follow-up meeting with officials from the Ministry of Education is planned to further address these issues and chart a way forward.
MPs also suggested reforms to allow students more freedom to choose their preferred courses, as opposed to being automatically placed by the current system.
