Members of Parliament accused the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) of favoring private institutions during a 2022 debate on the Universities (Amendment) Bill, arguing this practice has destabilized public universities.
The controversy centered on the 2021 KUCCPS Amendment, which lawmakers claimed shifted student placements toward private universities, depriving public institutions of enrollment and funding. Ruaraka MP T.J Kajwang' highlighted the shift, stating, "It is today prestigious to go to a private university. When I went to school, it was prestigious to go to public universities." He referenced 2012 in a critique of resource allocation, noting, "If every year we were to use the kind of money we're pushing through the Exchequer to build a university, how many universities would we have built from 2012 up to now?"
Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa criticized KUCCPS for failing to place students in public universities, saying, "Public universities have no students because KUCCPS is not placing students there." He linked the lack of enrollment to reduced government funding, which is tied to student numbers. Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni called for a sunset clause to limit private universities' access to public funds, arguing, "We should introduce a sunset clause. So that for private universities that have been enjoying money from public coffers, we know by what time that will come to an end."
The debate occurred amid ongoing disputes over the 2021 amendment, with critics claiming it disproportionately benefited private institutions. Lawmakers emphasized the need for reforms to address systemic inequities in higher education funding and student placement.
