TTC Intake Suspended: Full List of 33 KUCCPS Teacher Training Colleges Offering DPTE

Kenya Halts TTC Admissions Over Teacher Surplus: Colleges, Fees and Requirements

Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) have long been the main route into Kenya’s classrooms, and the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system has reshaped that route.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) lists 33 accredited public TTCs offering the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE), which replaced the old Primary Teacher Education (PTE) certificate.

A new qualification, the Diploma in Teacher Education Pre-Primary and Primary (DTE PP&P), is meant to replace DPTE, but it has not started.

For now, DPTE remains the programme in place. This article covers the colleges, their locations, fees, entry requirements, what trainees need to bring, and the current pause in intake.

DPTE Today, DTE PP&P Tomorrow

Kenya has trained teachers for early years and primary school through two separate diplomas:

• DECTE (Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education) trained nursery school teachers for Pre-Primary 1 and 2 (PP1 and PP2). DECTE has been abolished.
• DPTE (Diploma in Primary Teacher Education) trains primary school teachers for Grades 1 to 6.

The DTE PP&P is a merger of the two. Once it begins, one qualification will prepare a teacher to teach from nursery through primary, so graduates will cover PP1 through Grade 6 rather than a single level.

Where things stand now: DTE PP&P has not yet started. The programme currently offered through the 33 listed colleges is DPTE, and the codes below are the DPTE codes.

Applicants should not assume DTE PP&P is available at any college until KUCCPS, the Ministry of Education and the colleges announce its rollout.

The merger matches the structure of CBE, where pre-primary and lower primary form a continuous early learning stage. It will also give schools and the government more flexibility in deploying teachers.

KUCCPS-Listed Public TTCs Offering DPTE

These are the 33 accredited public colleges, with their KUCCPS codes and counties.

1. Aberdare TTC (4480B59) – Nyandarua
2. Asumbi TTC (4515B59) – Homa Bay
3. Bishop Mahon TTC (4510B59) – Turkana
4. Bondo TTC (4560B59) – Siaya
5. Borabu TTC (4485B59) – Nyamira
6. Bunyore TTC (4520B59) – Vihiga
7. Chesta TTC (4440B59) – West Pokot
8. Egoji TTC (4435B59) – Meru
9. Galana TTC (4525B59) – Kilifi
10. Garissa TTC (4580B59) – Garissa
11. Kaimosi TTC (4425B59) – Vihiga
12. Kamwenja TTC (4455B59) – Nyeri
13. Kenyenya TTC (4460B59) – Kisii
14. Kericho Teachers’ College (4395B59) – Kericho
15. Kitui TTC (4550B59) – Kitui
16. Kwale TTC (4535B59) – Kwale
17. Machakos TTC (4475B59) – Machakos
18. Mandera TTC (4445B59) – Mandera
19. Meru TTC (4405B59) – Meru
20. Migori TTC (4555B59) – Migori
21. Moi TTC Baringo (4495B59) – Baringo
22. Mosoriot TTC (4490B59) – Nandi
23. Murang’a TTC (4465B59) – Murang’a
24. Narok TTC (4420B59) – Narok
25. Seme TTC (4530B59) – Kisumu
26. Shanzu TTC (4450B59) – Mombasa
27. St Augustine Eregi (4415B59) – Kakamega
28. St John’s Kilimambogo (4500B59) – Kiambu
29. St Mark’s Kigari (4430B59) – Embu
30. Tambach TTC (4575B59) – Elgeyo Marakwet
31. Tarbaj TTC (5375B59) – Wajir
32. Thogoto TTC (4470B59) – Kiambu
33. Ugenya TTC (4545B59) – Siaya

Where the Colleges Are

The colleges cover most regions, so many trainees can study close to home.

• Central and Mt. Kenya: Aberdare, Kamwenja, Murang’a, Thogoto, St John’s Kilimambogo, Egoji, Meru and St Mark’s Kigari.
• Western and Nyanza: Asumbi, Bondo, Bunyore, Kaimosi, Kenyenya, Borabu, Migori, Seme, Ugenya and St Augustine Eregi.
• Rift Valley: Kericho, Mosoriot, Moi TTC Baringo, Narok, Tambach, Chesta and Bishop Mahon.
• Coast: Galana, Kwale and Shanzu.
• North Eastern and Eastern: Garissa, Mandera, Tarbaj, Kitui and Machakos.

Colleges in Turkana, Mandera, Wajir and West Pokot matter especially, because they train teachers for regions that often struggle to attract and retain them.

Fee Structure

The reported cost of the three-year diploma is about KSh 72,076 for Year 1. Public TTCs usually charge a combined package covering tuition, accommodation, meals, activities and examinations.

If the same amount applied in each of the three years, the total would be roughly KSh 216,000, but that is only an estimate.

Charges can vary by college and change over time, so confirm the breakdown with your college’s finance office.

Students should also budget for:

• A laptop that meets KNEC’s specifications for e-assessments (details below)
• Personal upkeep, stationery and learning materials
• Teaching practice costs, such as transport and accommodation during placement
• Uniform or dress requirements where applicable
• Medical cover and caution money, where charged

Applicants from low-income families can explore HELB loans and bursaries from NG-CDF, county governments and well-wishers. Confirm with the college which options apply to TTC students.

Academic Requirements

To join a public TTC for the diploma, you need:

• A KCSE mean grade of C (plain), the standard minimum.
• A KCSE mean grade of C- (minus) for applicants from marginalised groups.

Placement is competitive within these minimums because capacity is limited. Check the subject requirements and any additional criteria KUCCPS publishes for the intake year, and choose your colleges carefully.

Laptop Requirement for E-Assessments

Trainees joining the programme will be required to have their own laptop. The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is moving assessment online, and students will sit Electronic Assessments (E-Assessments) on their devices. The minimum specifications are:

• Processor: Intel Core i5
• Operating system: Windows 10
• Memory: 4GB RAM
• Webcam: Built-in or external, working properly

The webcam is part of the requirement because online assessments usually need the candidate to be visible during the exam.

Students should test their laptops before reporting and confirm any further technical requirements with the college or KNEC. A laptop is a significant extra cost, so families should plan for it alongside college fees.

Teaching Practice (Practicum)

Practical training is central to the diploma. Students will spend one full school term on teaching practice (practicum) in a public school. During this period trainees:

• Plan and deliver lessons under the guidance of mentor teachers and college supervisors
• Apply CBE methods, including learner assessment, in a real classroom
• Experience school routines, from record keeping to co-curricular activities
• Are assessed on their classroom performance, which counts towards the qualification

Teaching practice schools may be far from the college, so budget for transport, accommodation and upkeep during that term.

How to Apply

Aspiring teachers apply through the KUCCPS portal at https://students.kuccps.net:

1. Create an account using your KCSE index number.
2. Review the programme and college codes, such as 4480B59 for Aberdare TTC.
3. Select your preferred colleges within the application window.
4. Wait for placement results, accept your placement and follow the college’s reporting instructions.

Note that these steps apply once intake reopens. See the next section.

Important: TTC Intake Is Suspended

This is the key point for anyone planning to apply. DPTE is the only programme currently in place, and DTE PP&P has not started, but intake into TTCs has been suspended for 2025 KCSE candidates, and there was no intake in September 2026. The reason is a surplus of teachers and the unemployment it has caused.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) advised TTCs to stop admitting students because CBC created a surplus of primary school teachers.

Classes 7 and 8 were scrapped from primary school and moved to junior school, which is where teacher demand now lies. Sources indicate TTCs could go three years without a new intake.

For now, TTCs are admitting only P1 teachers seeking to upgrade to the Upgraded Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (UDPTE). School leavers should not expect direct placement until the suspension is lifted.

What Aspiring Teachers Can Do

• Follow official announcements from KUCCPS, the Ministry of Education and TSC on when intake resumes and when DTE PP&P will be rolled out.
• Consider university routes. Bachelor of Education programmes, especially those aimed at junior school and secondary teaching, align better with where demand now sits.
• Keep your grades strong. Aim above the minimum C plain to widen your options.
• Start preparing digitally. Basic computer skills will help with e-assessments.
• Explore related careers, such as special needs education and education support roles.

Final Thoughts

Kenya is moving from separate DPTE and DECTE diplomas to a single DTE PP&P, but that change has not yet happened.

DPTE is the programme in place for now, DECTE has been abolished, and DTE PP&P will eventually let graduates teach from nursery through primary.

Trainees will sit KNEC e-assessments on their own laptops and spend a full term on teaching practice in a public school.

With a C plain (or C- for marginalised groups) and first-year fees of around KSh 72,076, the course has been within reach for many families, but direct intake is paused and may stay that way for some time.

Verify fees, programme codes, laptop specifications and intake status with KUCCPS, KNEC and your chosen college before making decisions.