KMTC reveals financial crisis behind 20,000 unclaimed student admission slots

Thousands of students who secure places at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) through the national placement system are failing to begin their studies because they cannot afford the fees, prompting the institution to seek Parliament's intervention over its exclusion from government student funding.

KMTC says approximately 20,000 candidates placed through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) fail to enrol during every admission cycle after discovering that they cannot access government scholarships or loans to finance their training.

The college's management raised the matter on Thursday, November 5, when it appeared before the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Committee at Parliament Buildings, seeking support to have its students included in the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding programme.

The delegation, led by Chief Executive Officer Dr Kelly Oluoch, also briefed the committee, chaired by Hon. Musa Sirma, on projects funded through NG-CDF and the constituencies hosting KMTC campuses.

Oluoch told the lawmakers that the institution has 89,586 students and produces more than 85 per cent of Kenya's healthcare workforce, yet its learners remain outside the government financial assistance system.

He explained that the challenge arises from KMTC operating under the Ministry of Health, unlike institutions under the Ministry of Education that fall within the existing student financing arrangements.

The CEO argued that the ministry under which an institution operates should not determine whether its students qualify for government assistance, insisting that KMTC trainees deserve the same consideration as other post-secondary learners.

"KMTC should not have to leave the Ministry of Health to get funded. National financing legislation should recognize KMTC trainees as post-secondary students deserving equitable state funding," Dr. Oluoch told MPs.

The funding gap has also created difficulties for the college during admissions, as students who cannot raise the required fees are forced to surrender places they have already secured.

Committee members observed that the situation disadvantages both the candidates who abandon their admission slots and other qualified applicants who could have taken up those places had they remained available.

Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo proposed that KMTC work with KUCCPS to introduce clear information on the cost of training and the absence of government funding before applicants select their preferred courses.

He said prospective students should be made aware of the financial requirements early enough to avoid accepting admission offers they may later be unable to afford.

“You need a disclaimer during the courses application, informing students that there's no funding from government for KMTC courses. You should collaborate with KUCCPS for a pop-up message on their portal so that students get the information that those courses are self-sponsored,” said Hon. Gisairo.

Committee chairperson Musa Sirma also backed the college's appeal, questioning why an institution responsible for training most of the country's healthcare workforce had been excluded from the Sh300 billion education financing package.

"It makes no sense for KMTC which trains over 85% of healthcare workers to be left out simply because it sits under the Ministry of Health rather than the Ministry of Education," said Hon. Sirma.

However, Dr Oluoch maintained that KMTC's placement under the Ministry of Health is necessary because of the practical nature of its programmes, which depend heavily on clinical attachments in hospitals, clinical preceptors and specialised health regulatory bodies.

He cited other specialised training institutions that operate outside the Ministry of Education, including Bukura Agricultural College under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Kenya Water Institute under the Ministry of Water and Utalii College under the Ministry of Tourism.

According to the CEO, such institutions demonstrate that specialised colleges can remain under their respective ministries while still receiving recognition within the country's broader tertiary education system.

Rather than transferring KMTC to the Ministry of Education to make its students eligible for financial assistance, Oluoch proposed a funding structure that would cover learners across different government ministries.

He suggested that the proposed Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA) be established under the National Treasury to ensure that students in all tertiary institutions can access government support without discrimination based on their institutions' administrative placement.