The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has explained why Kisii University recorded the highest number of 2022 KCSE candidates per university's placement cycle ranking.
According to the data released by the Ministry of Education, 285,167 candidates managed to secure slots in degree, diploma and arts courses out of 870,561 who were eligible.
Kisii University was the most preferred institution by KCSE candidates with 8,632 students, followed by Kenyatta University (7,963), Maseno University (7,702), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (6,917) and University of Nairobi (6,912).
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Wednesday, August 8, KUCCPS CEO Agnes Wahome said that the university had the most available programs for students who had scored C+ and above and also offers affordable courses compared to other institutions.
"You look at the requirements for those courses. The minimum requirement is C+ hence provides an opportunity for many students," she disclosed, adding that students based their choices on two factors; minimum requirement and cost.
"For instance, a student can choose an engineering course between one university in Taita Taveta and another in Nairobi. Which one will receive more applications? It's the one in Nairobi, but one factor most students considered this time round was the cut-off points as they did not want to miss out on the placement," Wahome added.
Affordable Courses
A spot check on the KUCCPS website revealed that for a Bachelor of Arts degree, Kisii is the most affordable institution with Ksh122,485 annually as compared to K.U (Ksh183,600), UoN (Ksh160,653), Moi University (Ksh153,000) and Egerton University (Ksh148,500).
To attain a law degree at Kisii University, a student parts with Ksh225,335, UoN (Ksh221,850), Egerton (Ksh214,700) and Kenyatta University (Ksh183,600).
On the other hand, a Bachelor of Commerce costs in Kisii (Ksh 206,635), as opposed to JKUAT (Ksh183,600), UoN (Ksh220,150) and KU (Ksh183,600).
KCSE 2022
The region showed exemplary performance in the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results after a number of its schools featured in the top 100 positions nationally.
Nyambaria High School made headlines after recording 28 A plains and having all the 488 students transitioning to the university. Further, the school's mean grade rose from 9.30 in 2021 to 10.897.
Mobamba High School also scored an exemplary performance, with 348 candidates joining the university. The school, which posted a mean grade of 5.11 in 2021, recorded a 9.28 in the 2022 exams.
Also recording a sharp rise in its mean score in the 2022 exam was Kuura Secondary School, which went from 5.37 in 2021 to 9.11 in 2022.
St, Pauls Igonga and Cardinal Otunga Secondary School recorded a mean grade of 10.26 and 10.76 - up from a mean score of 6.2 and 7.44, respectively.
Top 10 KCSE Candidates & Questions on Exam Malpractices
Despite the exemplary performances, the region did not record a candidate in the top 10 nationally.
Nonetheless, the credibility of the exam results was brought to the fore, with stakeholders questioning how some of the schools that normally recorded average performances in Kisii instantly recorded an unusually high number of candidates posting A grades.
The reports caught the attention of the Senate Education Committee, which launched investigations to determine the sudden spike in the number of high grades.
Led by Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, the committee sought to investigate exam malpractices in the 2022 KCSE Exams.
"We have seen queries by Kenyans on social media, but we urge them to be patient. We want to ascertain the truth," Nyutu stated.
While appearing before the Committee proceedings held on April 13, 2023, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu dismissed the allegations and argued that the media blew the situation out of proportion.
“Contrary to this propaganda, Kisii and Nyamira counties actually had the least number of Grade As in the Nyanza region. Siaya County had the highest number of As in the Nyanza region with 72, followed by Homa Bay and Migori with 62 and Kisumu with 59," Machogu asserted.
