The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has proposed that students who benefit from fully government-funded university scholarships be required to serve the country for a fixed period before seeking employment elsewhere.
Speaking to the National Assembly Education Committee on Tuesday, KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Mercy Wahome said the measure is aimed at ensuring public funds invested in higher education yield tangible returns, while reducing the migration of skilled graduates to other sectors or countries.
She emphasized that the current scholarship system provides full financial support but does not guarantee that graduates remain in positions that benefit national development.
“We may need to look into the issue of bonding, where one who applies for a government scholarship may be required to serve the nation for a particular period,” Wahome said.
She suggested introducing clear obligations alongside scholarships under the new university funding framework, to ensure merit-based opportunities come with accountability.
“Scholarships are taken very seriously. Students compete, and we get the best in terms of merit. But scholarships also come with conditions. Here, we give a scholarship based on merit, but we do not attach a condition for one to continue benefiting from that scholarship,” she added.
The model, if adopted, could resemble systems in other countries where scholarship recipients, such as athletes or military trainees, are required to fulfill service duties before exploring private sector roles.
During the session, lawmakers raised concerns about the high number of secondary school graduates who never transition to tertiary education. Luanda MP Dick Maungu noted that more than 700,000 of the over 950,000 students who sat last year’s KCSE examinations did not gain university or college placement.
Wahome admitted that KUCCPS currently lacks adequate mechanisms to track students who are not placed or who drop out after admission.
“We have a gap in tracking those that we place. Under the Ministry, the Commission for University Education (CUE) has that responsibility, but we feel that needs to be clarified. If KUCCPS places students, then we need to be able to get returns so that we know how many drop out. This will help us understand, as a country, the value for money,” she said.
“If we put money into scholarships, then we need to know whether that money was properly used. It will also help to establish the causes of student dropouts.”
KUCCPS is also seeking authority to manage all foreign-funded scholarships to ensure fair and competitive selection. Board Chairperson Cyrus Gitau said the agency is well placed to handle these programmes.
“We have those bilateral scholarships that come time and again. KUCCPS is the best organisation placed to competitively pick the beneficiaries, and they will be distributed in the most fair way. The cost of a scholarship is competition,” he said.
Additionally, the agency wants the power to place Kenyan students in universities abroad and admit foreign students to local institutions. KUCCPS has drafted legislation seeking operational independence and the exclusive mandate to oversee placement for both government-sponsored and self-funded students. Gitau explained, “One of the mandates we want included in the KUCCPS Act is that all placements of students in tertiary institutions must be covered by KUCCPS, so that we are able to get this data and execute the other mandate of advising the government on placement.”
The Committee, chaired by Vice Chairperson Eve Obara, praised KUCCPS for leveraging technology and partnerships to expand access to higher education.
Wahome highlighted achievements since 2014, including twelve placement cycles, placing over 2.5 million students in 452 institutions, and training more than 9,000 career teachers nationwide.
“Through collaborations with institutions like KICD, KESSHA, and the Equity Group Foundation, we’ve brought career guidance closer to the learners,” she said, adding that KUCCPS continues to align university courses with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
MPs also sought clarity on transparency and inclusivity. Kibra MP Peter Orero inquired about procedures for changing courses after placement; Siaya MP Christine Ombaka raised questions about policies for students with disabilities and those from marginalized areas; Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo asked how late applicants are handled, while Mandera South MP Abdi Haro urged stronger alignment between university programmes and job market needs.
Wahome said the introduction of phased applications now gives students multiple chances to apply. She also confirmed that KUCCPS follows the two-thirds gender rule and allocates at least 10 per cent of placements to students with disabilities and marginalized communities.
Highlighting ongoing challenges, she noted limited student tracking capacity, poor internet access, and the absence of an independent legal framework. KUCCPS urged Parliament to support the proposed bill to grant operational autonomy and extend the agency’s mandate.
Gitau noted that in the last placement cycle, only 80 per cent of the roughly 250,000 eligible students applied, stressing the need for lawmakers’ support to ensure all qualified students access placement services.