Private universities have once again admitted only a fraction of the students they had planned for after the latest Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) exercise placed 17,151 learners in the institutions, leaving thousands of available spaces vacant.
The students form part of the 202,133 candidates placed in universities through the 2026 placement exercise whose results were released earlier this month. The number joining private universities has dropped slightly from last year's 17,873.
Although students admitted to private universities through KUCCPS qualify for government loans, they are not eligible for scholarships. Students who seek admission directly from the universities are also eligible for government loans.
The government ended scholarships for students studying in private universities three years ago after discontinuing a sponsorship programme that had been introduced in 2017. The programme left the State with unpaid bills worth billions of shillings owed to private universities.
This year's placement saw 33 private universities declare a total capacity of 60,042 places. However, only 17,151 students were placed, leaving 42,891 vacancies, equivalent to 71 per cent of the available spaces.
Some private universities also reserve places in popular degree programmes for students who apply directly to the institutions instead of submitting all available slots to KUCCPS.
Mount Kenya University admitted the highest number of students through the placement agency after receiving 3,221 learners against a declared capacity of 6,089.
Zetech University followed with 2,137 students placed out of 4,220 available spaces.
Other institutions that recorded high placements include KCA University with 1,855 students, Kabarak University with 1,563, Catholic University of Eastern Africa with 1,094, Daystar University with 983, University of Eastern Africa, Baraton with 750, Kenya Highlands Evangelical University with 741, Great Lakes University Kisumu with 683 and Lukenya University with 573.
The financial challenges facing private universities remain a concern. In March this year, Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala was put to task over a Sh60.2 billion debt owed by the government to private universities.
Placement of government-sponsored students to private universities began in the 2016/2017 financial year after KUCCPS was allowed to admit learners to both public and private institutions.
The policy was introduced after the number of students qualifying for university admission dropped to about 70,000 following tougher measures to curb cheating in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations. At the time, every student who qualified for university admission was eligible for government sponsorship.