By Ongaga Ongaga
Form Four leavers seeking admission to hospitality and tourism courses will now access a wider range of opportunities following a new partnership between the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and Kenya Utalii College.
Under the collaboration, Kenya Utalii College will, for the first time, admit students through the KUCCPS placement system—a move expected to enhance access to the institution’s globally recognised hospitality and tourism programmes.
Plans are underway to roll out the partnership ahead of the 2026 application cycle for placement to universities and TVET institutions.
Speaking during a meeting at Kenya Utalii College in Nairobi, KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Dr Agnes Mercy Wahome described the initiative as a major boost for equity in access to higher education and training.
“The KUCCPS placement system ensures fairness and merit in access to higher education and training opportunities while enabling institutions to attract students from all parts of Kenya,” Dr Wahome said.
“There is equity in the process, ensuring that institutions achieve the face of Kenya.”
Kenya Utalii College Principal Mr Mark Rachuonyo Ogendi termed the collaboration a “game changer” for hospitality and tourism training in the country, noting that it would significantly broaden the college’s reach.
“By working with KUCCPS on student placement, the college will be able to reach students from all parts of Kenya as we seek to expand our campus presence in other regions,” Mr Ogendi said, citing Kisumu, Kilifi and Narok counties among targeted areas.
The two CEOs said the partnership would also focus on labour market research, career pathways, and grassroots mobilisation to encourage students to take up available training opportunities.
The collaboration aligns with the government’s whole-of-government approach to bringing technical and vocational education and training closer to citizens.
Last week, the Ministries of Education and Tourism jointly launched hospitality programmes at Tinderet Integrated Training and Vocational Institute in Nandi County under Kenya Utalii College.
Through KUCCPS coordination, the college also expects to engage with other institutions offering tourism and hospitality programmes to harmonise training standards.
Kenya Utalii College becomes the latest specialised institution to join the KUCCPS placement system, which is anchored on transparency and efficiency.
Other institutions that have recently joined include the Kenya School of Law and the Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas.
An affiliate member of UN Tourism, Kenya Utalii College is a recognised Centre of Excellence that has trained skilled workers for Kenya’s and the global hospitality and tourism markets for over 50 years.
The institution boasts a strong tradition of competence-based training, with many of its graduates securing employment in leading tourism establishments locally and abroad.
KUCCPS is a government agency established under the Universities Act, 2012, mandated to coordinate the placement of government-sponsored students to universities and colleges, develop career guidance programmes, and manage student placement data, among other functions.