CUE Questioned Over Approval of 277,000 First-Year University Slots

CUE Questioned Over Approval of 277,000 First-Year University Slots

During the 2024-2025 student placement cycle, concerns were raised by Members of Parliament regarding the approval of more than 277,000 student admissions across public and private universities by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

The National Assembly Committee on Education, in particular, scrutinized the decision to allow Kisii University to enroll 16,464 first-year students.

MPs questioned whether the university had adequate academic staff and infrastructure to support such a large student population, especially considering its declared capacity surpasses that of older and more established institutions.

According to documents presented to the committee on June 11, Kisii University reported the highest number of available slots, followed closely by Kenyatta University.

Marcela Mwaka, Head of Programme Accreditation at CUE, faced challenges in explaining how Kisii University was permitted to declare a capacity of 16,000 students despite concerns over infrastructure adequacy.

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Ms. Mwaka clarified that universities submit their capacity declarations to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), which are then evaluated by CUE to ensure the institution can support the declared numbers with appropriate infrastructure.

Kisii University

Criticism was directed at CUE for allowing Kisii University to admit such a significant number of students without adequate infrastructure.

Questions were raised about the university’s capacity to effectively accommodate 16,000 students, given its current facilities and academic resources.

During the parliamentary session, Ms. Mwaka detailed that Kisii University boasts 82 bachelor’s degree programs and employs 317 academic staff members, including professors and lecturers across various ranks.

The university possesses 91 lecture rooms, multiple labs, and other necessary facilities, as per CUE records.

Committee Chairperson Julius Melly expressed skepticism about the feasibility of Kisii University’s capacity declaration, questioning the adequacy of resources to support 16,000 students.

MPs Julius Melly and Christine Ombaka indicated plans to visit the university to verify the accuracy of the information provided by CUE.

Further queries were raised by MPs Eve Obara and Prof. Christine Ombaka regarding the workload of lecturers and the practicality of managing such a large student population effectively.

In response to these concerns, Clive Gisairo, Kitutu Masaba MP, highlighted discrepancies in the university’s capacity claims, suggesting that even the allocated 7,772 students would strain the university’s resources, let alone the stated 16,000 capacity.

Documents submitted to the committee outlined the declared capacities of various public universities, with Kisii University topping the list at 16,464 slots, followed by Maseno University, University of Nairobi, Karatina University, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Approved Student Openings in Public Universities (2024-2025)

Kisii University Infrastructure and Academic Staff (2024)

The committee plans to meet with CUE in the coming week to discuss the capacity assessment criteria for local universities and to verify the reported figures firsthand.

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