- Thousands of first-year students begin university life as institutions roll out admission and orientation programmes.
- UoN starts reporting on Monday, while several universities receive and orient new students during the week.
- Others, including Kibabii and sections of Kenyatta University, started receiving their new students earlier.
Thousands of first-year students are beginning a new chapter in their education as universities across Kenya continue admitting and orienting freshers for the 2026/2027 academic year.
The University of Nairobi (UoN) is among institutions welcoming new students this week, with first years expected to report on Monday, August 24, as the university begins its orientation and physical registration programme. UoN had opened online registration on August 3.
The reporting marks the culmination of months of applications, placement by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), inter-institutional transfers and preparations by students and their families.
The admission season is already underway across the country. Some institutions began receiving first years last week, while others are opening their doors this week or continuing staggered admission and orientation programmes.
Kibabii University is among institutions where the 2026 KUCCPS reporting process has already started. The university has also published its 2026/2027 first-year orientation programme and established a dedicated portal through which new students can access admission information, fee structures, hostel booking and information on higher education funding.
Kenyatta University also began receiving sections of its new cohort last week and continues with staggered reporting this week.
UoN first years report Monday
At UoN, online registration for first-year students began on August 3, ahead of physical reporting and registration on Monday.
The university’s official first-year programme lists August 24 as Day One of orientation week, beginning with reporting and registration.
The exercise will provide incoming students with an opportunity to complete admission procedures and familiarise themselves with their respective faculties and departments.
Orientation continues during the week, with students expected to receive information on university academic programmes, rules and regulations, student welfare, library services, health services and other aspects of campus life.
For the incoming students, reporting marks their transition from secondary school into an academic environment that demands greater independence and personal responsibility.
UoN’s Faculty of Health Sciences has also formally welcomed incoming first-year students joining the university community for the new academic year.
Kenyatta University continues staggered programme
Kenyatta University is handling its new students through a staggered programme organised according to schools.
Unlike UoN, where the main first-year reporting begins this week, KU started receiving sections of its incoming cohort last week.
Students from the School of Engineering and Architecture and those pursuing BSc Food, Nutrition and Dietetics were scheduled to report on Wednesday, August 19, followed by orientation activities on August 20.
The admission programme continues this week.
Students in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning and School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences report on Monday, August 24.
Those joining the School of Pure and Applied Sciences and School of Health Sciences report on Tuesday, August 25.
On Wednesday, August 26, students joining the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences and School of Business, Economics and Tourism report.
The staggered approach helps the university manage the large number of incoming students while giving individual schools an opportunity to introduce freshers to their academic structures and requirements.
| University | Reporting/admission status | Date/programme |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nairobi (UoN) | Reporting this week | August 24 – reporting and registration; orientation follows |
| Kenyatta University (KU) | Already started; continues this week | First group August 19; other schools report August 24, 25 and 26; orientation continues to August 28 |
| Laikipia University | Orientation this week | August 24–28 |
| Tharaka University | Receiving first years this week | August 25; more than 6,300 students expected |
| Mount Kenya University (MKU) | Receiving new students this week | August 24–28; orientation August 29 |
| Moi University | Already admitted/reported | August 20–21 |
| Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) | Already admitted/reported | August 20 |
| University of Eastern Africa, Baraton | Already welcoming new students | New students welcomed from August 20 |
| Egerton University | Already admitted/reported | Reporting scheduled from August 17 |
| Kibabii University | Admission/orientation already underway | First-year reporting/orientation programme began ahead of this week |
| Karatina University | First-year activities already underway | First-year support/orientation activities were underway last week; university posted further orientation information on August 21 |
| South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) | Reporting next week | August 31 |
Orientation activities continue throughout the week, culminating in the matriculation ceremony scheduled for Friday, August 28, at Graduation Square.
Kibabii already receiving first years
Kibabii University is among institutions that began the admission process ahead of UoN.
The university’s official website indicates that 2026 KUCCPS reporting has started and provides incoming students with access to their admission letters, fee information and hostel booking.
Kibabii had also published its Orientation Programme for First Years Students for the 2026/2027 academic year on August 10.
The university has established a dedicated first-year portal where incoming students can access their admission letters, fee structure, information on Higher Education Financing applications and instructions on booking university accommodation.
The early start at Kibabii illustrates the differences in university calendars, with institutions determining their own admission, reporting and orientation schedules.
More than 6,300 expected at Tharaka University
Tharaka University is preparing for one of the largest reported intakes, with more than 6,300 first-year students placed at the institution by KUCCPS expected to report for admission on Tuesday, August 25.
Ahead of their arrival, the university brought together accommodation providers, security agencies and other stakeholders to prepare for the influx of new students.
The preparations are particularly important because a large university intake affects not only the institution but also accommodation, transport, security and businesses within the surrounding community.
For the students, the reporting exercise will begin the process of registration, settling into accommodation and familiarisation with university life.
Laikipia dedicates week to orientation
At Laikipia University, the entire week has been set aside for first-year orientation.
The university has scheduled its 2026/2027 First-Year Students’ Orientation Programme from Monday, August 24, to Friday, August 28.
Activities begin at 8am each day, with all first-year students required to participate.
According to the university, the programme is designed to familiarise students with academic programmes, policies and procedures, support services and other essential aspects of university life.
Orientation is particularly important for first years who are moving away from home for the first time and must adjust to a considerably different academic and social environment.
Universities are opening at different times
The ongoing admission season demonstrates that Kenyan universities do not have a single national reporting date for first-year students.
Some, such as Kibabii University and sections of Kenyatta University, started receiving or orienting their new students earlier, while UoN begins physical reporting on August 24.
Other universities are receiving students at different points this week, while still others have reporting dates later in the admission cycle.
The differences are important because parents and students should rely on individual admission letters and official university communications rather than assuming that reporting dates are uniform across institutions.
They should also confirm whether their reporting date applies to the entire university or only to a particular school, faculty, programme or campus.
Confirmed first-year activities
The dates demonstrate the staggered nature of the 2026/2027 university admission season. Students should therefore follow the specific instructions issued by their universities, faculties and campuses.
A major transition for first years
For students, university admission involves much more than presenting an admission letter at the registration desk.
Freshers must adjust to new academic systems, lecturers, timetables and assessment methods while learning how to manage their time with significantly less direct supervision than they experienced in secondary school.
Many will also be living away from their parents for the first time.
Accommodation, meals, personal finances, security, friendships and social life therefore become part of the transition.
Orientation programmes are intended to help students understand these responsibilities while introducing them to the services available when they encounter academic, financial or personal challenges.
Universities also use the programmes to explain regulations governing examinations, academic integrity, student conduct and use of institutional facilities.
Parents face accommodation and financial preparations
The admission period is equally significant for parents and guardians, who must contend with tuition requirements, accommodation, transport and living expenses as students settle into their institutions.
Students should ensure they carry or have access to all documents specified in their individual admission instructions.
They should also avoid relying on unofficial social media messages concerning reporting dates, accommodation, fees or registration.
Universities increasingly conduct parts of the admission process online, making institutional student portals and official university communication channels particularly important.
Where reporting dates differ between schools, programmes or campuses, the student’s individual university instructions should take precedence.
Fresh start for thousands
The arrival of first years is progressively transforming campuses as students begin navigating lecture halls, libraries, hostels and university systems for the first time.
At UoN, Monday’s reporting begins an orientation programme that will formally introduce the new cohort to university life.
Kenyatta University, meanwhile, continues its staggered programme after receiving its first group last week, while Kibabii University has already commenced its KUCCPS reporting process.
Tharaka University expects more than 6,300 new students, while Laikipia University has dedicated the working week to introducing its first years to university life.
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For the incoming students, the admission season represents the end of the long journey through secondary education, national examinations, KUCCPS placement and admission — and the beginning of an entirely different phase of academic and personal life.
By Joseph Mambili
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