Government and Policy

KUCCSPS Given Deadline Over University Placement Results

BY Getrude Mathayo · August 4, 2023 12:08 pm

KEY POINTS

Students had complained earlier that they can only access the placement information through SMS. The information was also inadequate since it only showed the course and institution a candidate had been admitted to. Students also reported being unable to access letters to their respective institutions of admission on the portal

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has been given one week to respond to inquiries over technical issues on its portal, which has made it hard for some students to access results.

The 7-day ultimatum was issued by the Commission on Administrative Justice also known as the office of the Ombudsman. In a letter addressed to KUCCPS Chief Executive Agnes Wahome that was released on Thursday, August 3, the Office of the Ombudsman raised pertinent issues regarding the roll-out of the university placement results.

At first, the concern was raised by users who noted that they lacked any other free means to access the information, whether online or offline.

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“The Commission’s attention has been drawn to reports indicating that your institution released the placement results for students who applied to join universities and colleges in Kenya for the year 2022 but access to such important information is restricted to short message service (SMS) whereof the costs per SMS is Sh25,” Ochola said.

“The Access to Information Commissioner engaged your Office on the foregoing whereby your office stated that the system of access to individual results by each student was working.”

They further revealed that it conducted its own investigation and found that there was no information on how students could access the placement information on the website or know the alternative ways in which such information could be accessed without incurring unnecessary costs.

“To comply with the obligation on proactive disclosure of information, your institution is expected to have availed adequate guiding information on the alternative access procedures on your website or any other media (online or otherwise) in addition to the information on SMS access,” added the statement.

“This is to request you to respond to the foregoing concerns as well as inform the Commission of the measures initiated by your Institution to ensure full compliance within seven days from the date hereof.”

The Commission referred KUCCPS to Article 35(3) of the Constitution which requires institutions to publish and publicize any important information affecting the nation.

Section 5 of the Access to Information Act, 2016 requires institutions to proactively disclose information that is relevant to the public or which is likely to affect citizens’ rights and freedoms.

There was also a complaint of students who were paired to pursue courses way beneath their cluster points. For instance, a Pangani Girls alumni with A- (minus) grade was admitted to pursue a diploma in nutrition at Kiambu Institute.

According to KUCCPS, 285,167 students made applications for placement in 69 universities, 210 TVET institutions, and three Secondary Teacher Training Colleges. Shockingly, 23,125 who qualified for degree programs did not make applications while 136,592 did not apply for diploma courses. There are 483, 457 vacant spaces across universities and TVETs.