By John Mutiso
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has confirmed plans to extend Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding to all Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students.
Speaking on Thursday, December 4, during the 94th KMTC Graduation Ceremony at Kasarani, Kindiki said the Ministries of Health, Treasury, and Education will meet in the coming days to finalise a funding framework that ensures no KMTC trainee is left out of government support.
“I will be convening relevant ministries in the state departments next week to agree on a formula and how we can start supporting KMTC students to access funding,” he said.
Kindiki also underscored the scale of health-sector reforms implemented over the past three years.
He pointed to the expansion of medical insurance coverage from 7.5 million to nearly 28 million Kenyans, the deployment of 107,000 Community Health Promoters nationwide, and a KSh 9.7 billion investment in KMTC to enhance staffing, infrastructure development, and student welfare.
Kindiki further outlined the Government’s commitment to boosting the institution’s training capacity, including plans to employ 1,000 new KMTC tutors and operationalise 18 stalled campuses across the country.
He also praised KMTC for its critical contribution to Kenya’s health system, urging graduands to embrace innovation, digital literacy, and emerging global opportunities as they enter the workforce.
Earlier in the year, the government reinstated the HELB sponsorship program.
KMTC CEO Kelly Oluoch made the announcement in an update on Thursday, March 27, stating that the Treasury has allocated Ksh500 million in the 2024/25 supplementary budget to support financially needy students.
He described the move as a relief to thousands of KMTC students who had been left without financial aid following the government’s decision to channel Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) funds exclusively to institutions under the Ministry of Education.
“This means we will go ahead and ask the Treasury to release the funds. Once the money reaches our bank, which may take a few weeks, we will ask HELB to open the portal for students to apply,” he said.
Oluoch noted that KMTC students had previously benefited from HELB support until the end of the 2023/2024 Financial Year when the funding was halted.
He added that the absence of financial assistance had made it difficult for many students to continue their training.
“The absence of funding had placed a heavy burden on many of our students, making it difficult for them to continue with their training,” he added.
Oluoch said that in a bid to restore the funding, KMTC engaged key government bodies, including the Parliamentary Committee on Health and the Ministry of Health.
“This prompted us to engage extensively with key government bodies, including the Parliamentary Committee on Health and the Ministry of Health, to advocate for the reinstatement of the funding.
“We are pleased to announce that our efforts have borne fruit. The Government has allocated Kshs 500 million for student loans in collaboration with HELB,” he said.
