Universities in Kenya are under pressure to clear more than Sh300 million owed to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), with the outstanding debts now affecting the verification of student records.
KUCCPS says some institutions have failed to pay the one-off Sh1,500 fee charged for every student placed through its services.
KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Dr Agnes Mercy Wahome said institutions that fail to clear their debts or agree to payment plans risk having their student lists withheld, making it difficult to verify their enrolment information.
The verification process is important because the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) rely on the information to process government funding for students and institutions.
Wahome said KUCCPS had adopted a tougher approach towards institutions that fail to meet their financial obligations. The move has already pushed some universities to either settle their outstanding bills or sign agreements to repay the debts in instalments.
“Some universities have not been remitting. However, starting this financial year, we agreed with the universities that they would begin paying the debt in instalments,” Wahome said.
KUCCPS charges institutions a one-off Sh1,500 fee for every student it places, covering the verification of student information every semester until the learner completes their studies.
During the 2025/2026 financial year, KUCCPS collected Sh261.57 million in placement fees against a target of Sh284.16 million.
The agency has also introduced a debt collection policy and appointed an officer to oversee the recovery of outstanding payments from institutions.
