Friday, June 10, 2016
Tight security at Garissa University College when it was commemorating one year after a terrorist attack there left more than 140 students dead. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
By OUMA WANZALA
Students set to join universities in September have shunned Garissa University College, dealing a blow to government efforts to revive the institution a year after a terrorist attack there killed dozens.
Out of a declared capacity of 710 at Garissa, a constituent college of Moi University, only 23 students have selected to join it.
Statistics from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) — the body that processes admissions to public universities — indicate that there are 687 unfilled slots.
Last year, the college did not admit any students following the April 2015 attack that left more than 140 students dead.
The Bachelor of Education (Arts) degree programme has the highest number of unfilled slots at 149, followed by Bachelor of Education (Science) at 95, among others.
KUCCPS has announced the second and final revision of course choices ahead of the September admission date.
The notice comes after more than 19,209 candidates failed to get their first choices of degree courses they wanted to pursue.
Chief executive officer John Muraguri said the unplaced students have until June 18 to select new courses.
“This application is open for all candidates who, on competitive selection, have not been placed for any of their Degree or Diploma course choices after the first revision,” said Mr Muraguri.
He went on: “Successful candidates will be informed at the end of June after the selection process is completed.”
A total of 74,389 candidates will join the 32 public universities and their constituent colleges in September.
The cut-off point for placement in degree programmes has been put at B of 60 points for male candidates and B- of 58 points for female candidates.
A total of 165,766 candidates attained the minimum university entry qualification of C+ and above in last year’s examination.