Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has instructed the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to extend the application deadline for another week.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Education, Machogu directed that the deadline be extended until March 4, 2024, to ensure students have sufficient time to complete their applications.

The extension comes after KUCCPS previously announced an indefinite extension on February 25, following technical issues with the website. Initially set for February 22, the deadline was revised to February 26 due to complaints from Kenyan applicants.

Addressing the challenges faced by students during the application process, Machogu assured that the Ministry and other stakeholders are working to address the issues and facilitate all applicants to apply successfully.

Statistics provided by Machogu indicate that around 171,738 applications, representing 86% of candidates who scored a C+ and above in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination, are expected. As of February 25, 60.8% of these applicants have already successfully applied for various courses.

To expedite the application process, the Ministry has formed a technical team comprising representatives from relevant agencies. Additionally, applicants experiencing payment delays are encouraged to use the USSD code *222# to confirm payments and trigger validation.

Machogu further directed KUCCPS to provide a detailed procedure for payment confirmation prompts to ensure a smooth application process for all candidates aiming to transition to tertiary institutions.