The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has explained the process applicants can follow to easily retrieve their payment reference after completing the application fee payment.

This clarification was issued about two weeks after the placement agency opened its online portal for applications into degree programmes as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses.

However, some of the candidates have since expressed challenges in making the payments, with others reporting that the payments did not reflect on the application portal.

To address the menace, KUCCPS released an advisory on Thursday, April 23, 2026, explaining how applicants can retrieve their reference numbers after making payment.

According to the placement body, the payment reference, also abbreviated as Payment Ref., during application is the account number issued to you when making an application payment.

Candidates who have already made the payment can retrieve the reference number by simply checking their M-Pesa confirmation messages.

KUCCPS noted that the account number indicated in the message is the payment reference, with the placement body urging applicants not to confuse it with the M-Pesa transaction code.

“Looking for your Payment Ref. after paying for the KUCCPS application? Your Payment Ref. is the account number you keyed in during payment,” KUCCPS advised on X.

“You can retrieve it from your MPESA payment message. Be sure to pick the account, not the MPESA code.”

The payment reference is important for verifying the application payment and when making any necessary changes to your application.

KUCCPS also advised applicants to keep their M-Pesa confirmation message safe, as it may be required later in the application process.

While making the announcement, KUCCPS encouraged candidates to complete their applications before the deadline, with only 14 days left until the deadline set for May 6, 2026.

KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer, Dr Agnes Wahome, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, briefed Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on the agency’s level of preparedness, affirming that all systems are in place to ensure a smooth and transparent exercise.

“This afternoon, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Migos Ogamba, received a brief on the 2026/2027 Academic Year placement cycle from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS). The KUCCPS team, led by the Board Chair, Cyrus Gituai, and CEO, Dr. Agnes Wahome, apprised the Cabinet Secretary on the preparations for this cycle’s placement,” a statement by the Ministry of Education stated.

According to the ministry, the KUCCPS placement portal is now live and will remain open until May 6, 2026, giving applicants a one-month window to submit and revise their course and institution choices.

“The placement cycle has officially opened today, with the KUCCPS placement portal remaining open until 6th May, 2026,” the ministry confirmed.