NAIROBI, Kenya – Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has dismissed claims that the government has adjusted the minimum university entry grade, reaffirming that the cut-off remains a C+ (plus).
Ogamba urged the public to disregard reports suggesting otherwise, emphasizing that all 246,391 students who scored C+ and above in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams are eligible for university admission.
“The government has not changed the policy on university admission. The cut-off point remains C+ and above,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
The C+ threshold has been in place for years, following a policy shift that scrapped the previous requirement of B- (58 points) for female students and B (60 points) for males.
KUCCPS University Placement to Open in March
Ogamba also announced that the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will open its portal in March for students seeking university placement in the September intake.
Meanwhile, the placement process for Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Teacher Training Colleges, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions is already underway, having opened on January 24 for the March and May 2025 intakes.
University Funding to Cost Government Sh25.8 Billion Annually
Addressing concerns over university funding, the CS clarified that the government expects to spend Sh25.8 billion per year to support the 2024 university cohort.
He refuted claims that the cost would be Sh100 billion, explaining that the larger figure reflects total expenditure over four years.
“The projection of Sh100 billion will be the cumulative cost over a four-year period,” Ogamba stated.
The 2024 KCSE examinations saw a total of 962,512 candidates sit for the exams, up from 899,453 in 2023. Of these, 480,310 were male and 482,202 female.
Ogamba reassured that all candidates, regardless of their performance, would have opportunities to pursue higher education through universities, colleges, and TVET institutions.
