- KUCCPS career guidance sessions in schools reveal that relatively few learners express a desire to become teachers while still in school
- Medicine remained highly competitive, with 6,500 applicants vying for 702 slots, while 16,542 applied for education courses, leaving 2,695 unplaced due to limited capacity
- In the 2026/2027 cycle, KUCCPS placed 293,869 students into degree, diploma, craft, and artisan programmes, with about 70% securing courses they had selected
Parents are increasingly influencing their children’s career choices by pushing them toward medicine and teaching, even though many students show little interest in the two professions, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Agnes Wahome has revealed.
Dr. Wahome said the placement agency received numerous calls from parents seeking admission opportunities for their children in medicine and education programmes during the 2026/2027 placement cycle
Speaking during an interview, Dr. Wahome noted that while parents were mainly concerned about securing places in medicine and teaching courses, students were asking about universities offering programmes that match their personal interests.
She said the trend was also evident in nursing admissions last year; many parents wanted their children to join the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) to pursue nursing. However, the demand eased this year after more universities introduced Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programmes.
According to Dr. Wahome, KUCCPS career guidance sessions in schools reveal that relatively few learners express a desire to become teachers while still in school. She said the situation often changes after the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, when many parents take a leading role in deciding the courses their children apply for.
She said during KUCCPS career guidance programmes, they encourage students to identify careers that match their strengths and interests. Very few initially choose teaching, but after the examinations, many end up applying for courses preferred by their parents.
She attributed parents’ preferences to employment prospects, noting that the government continues to recruit teachers while medical professionals are generally associated with stable employment and attractive salaries.
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) remained one of the most competitive programmes during the 2026/2027 placement cycle. About 6,500 applicants competed for only 702 available slots in 11 universities offering the programme.
Admission required an exceptionally high cluster point of 46, reflecting the intense competition. The cluster point of 46 required applicants to have outstanding grades, including straight As in the core subjects required for admission; because many top-performing students selected the same universities, KUCCPS had to apply its placement formula to determine successful applicants.
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The Bachelor of Education programme also attracted a large number of applicants. A total of 16,542 students applied for the course, with 13,847 securing university admission. However, 2,695 applicants missed placement due to limited capacity and competition for available spaces.
Overall, KUCCPS placed 293,869 students into degree programmes, Level 6 diploma courses, Level 5 craft certificate courses and Level 4 artisan certificate programmes during the 2026/2027 placement exercise.
The placements included 202,133 students admitted to degree programmes, 28,246 students placed at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), 500 students admitted to the Diploma in Law (Paralegal Studies) programme at the Kenya School of Law, 765 students placed at Kenya Utalii College and 875 students admitted to Secondary Teacher Training College (TTC) programmes.
Of the applicants, 270,508 attained the minimum university entry grade of C+ and above, making them eligible for degree programmes, while the remaining applicants enrolled in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses. About 70 per cent of students were successfully placed in courses they had selected.
By Obegi Malack
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