| Written by Faith Mwende |
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has proposed that students who benefit from fully government-sponsored university scholarships be required to serve the country for a specific period before seeking other employment opportunities.
Appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee on Tuesday, KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Mercy Wahome said the move would ensure taxpayers get value for their investment in higher education while helping to curb brain drain.
“We may need to look into the issue of bonding, where one who applies for a government scholarship may be required to serve the nation for a particular period,” Wahome said.
She explained that the current funding model allows students to pursue fully funded degrees but does not prevent the loss of skilled professionals to other sectors or countries. Wahome added that attaching conditions to scholarships would promote accountability and ensure merit-based benefits are maximized.
“Scholarships are taken very seriously. Students compete, and we get the best in terms of merit. But scholarships also come with conditions. Here, we give a scholarship based on merit, but we do not attach a condition for one to continue benefiting from that scholarship,” she added.
KUCCPS has also prepared a Bill seeking operational independence and the exclusive mandate to oversee placement for both government-sponsored and self-sponsored students.
If approved, the proposal would mirror systems in other countries where scholarship beneficiaries are required to fulfil service obligations before taking up private opportunities.
During the session, Members of Parliament expressed concern over the rising number of students who complete secondary education but fail to proceed to tertiary institutions.
