The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Chief Executive Officer has explained why 2025 KCSE candidates will not be eligible to apply for admission into Primary Teacher Education programmes in Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs) for the 2026 intake.
This comes amid the need to address teacher oversupply and rising unemployment among trained graduates.
Speaking during a webinar held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the KUCCPS CEO, Agnes Wahome, said admission to TTCs for the September 2026 intake would be restricted to serving teachers upgrading from the P1 Certificate to the Diploma level, a decision made following a request from the Ministry of Education.
Intake for P1 Teachers Upgrading
Dr. Wahome noted that KUCCPS has taken a break across all 35 teacher training colleges.
“Teacher Training Institutions, we have a freeze for now. We are guided by the ministry that the only ones who will go in in September are those who will be upgrading,” she said.
“Those who are already teachers, the ones they call P1 teachers, who are primary teachers, will be admitted for September to upgrade to diploma teachers.” Teachers Training Intake
According to the Ministry of Education, many students are already training in TTCs, and thousands of trained teachers have graduated but are yet to secure employment.
Why Admissions to Teachers Training Have Been Frozen
The government believes that continuing to admit new trainees would further flood the job market and increase unemployment among teachers.
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Reports indicate that the suspension of TTC intake for new KCSE candidates could last for about three years.
Students who had planned to join TTCs are therefore encouraged to remain calm and explore other career opportunities in TVET institutions and in other professional courses that align with their passions and strengths.
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This comes after Senators proposed expanding the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding model to accommodate students in teacher training colleges, citing gaps in financial support under the existing system.
The legislators argued that the exclusion of these learners from the current framework undermines equity and limits access to government assistance.
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, who tabled the motion during a Senate sitting, urged the Ministry of Education, HELB, and the Universities Fund to formally integrate teacher training college (TTC) students into the new funding model.
He called for the development of clear regulations and guidelines to define eligibility, covering tuition, accommodation, and upkeep costs
What of people who are planning to do P1 and later upgrade to another course like special needs education