Financial struggles lead to calls for HELB funding for KMTC students
“Currently we have a fee balance of Sh1.5 billion from 41,319 students. Helb has failed 70,000 students at KMTC,” Oluoch said.
The Kenyan government is considering plans to extend financial support to students at the Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTC) through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
This move comes after revelations that many medical students are dropping out due to an inability to pay school fees.
According to KMTC CEO Kelly Oluoch, 34% of students admitted to the college fail to report, while 17% of those who do join are forced to discontinue their studies because of funding challenges.
"Currently, we have a fee balance of Sh1.5 billion from 41,319 students. HELB has failed 70,000 students at KMTC," Oluoch said.
During a meeting with a joint parliamentary committee on Health and Education, MPs expressed concern over the exclusion of KMTC students from the Helb loan program, which provides funding for other tertiary institutions.
Co-chaired by Seme MP James Nyikal (Health) and Tinderet MP Julius Melly (Education), the committee questioned why medical students at KMTC are left out despite the growing financial difficulties.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba responded by acknowledging that budgetary constraints have hindered the inclusion of KMTC students.
"As to the question why HELB does not provide loans to students in the Kenya Medical Training College, we wish to indicate that the main issue is the lack of budget," Ogamba stated.
He explained that KMTC is under the Ministry of Health, while HELB is under the Ministry of Education. This separation, according to the CS, complicates the process of allocating funding.
Ogamba also pointed out that institutions like KMTC, which fall under the Ministry of Health, handle their own budgetary allocations separately from those institutions managed by the Ministry of Education.
"When state corporations prepare their budgetary requirements, they do so through their respective ministries. Helb, therefore, prepares its budgets through the Ministry of Education," Ogamba said.
MPs, including Nabii Nabwera (Lugari), Eve Obara (Kabondo Kasipul), and Patrick Munene (Chuka Igambang'ombe), criticized the system, arguing that there is no valid reason why KMTC students should be denied financial support.
Munene suggested that the solution may lie in relocating the Helb to the Ministry of Finance, ensuring that funding can be made available for all tertiary students across different institutions.
"If we can’t fund KMTC, why don’t we relocate Helb to the Ministry of Finance, where it can be funded so that financing can benefit everyone?" he asked.
In addition to universities, students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions are also eligible for HELB funding, but many still struggle to access financial assistance.
The MPs’ call for reform of the funding system has added to growing pressure to ensure that no student, particularly in the medical field, is left behind due to financial barriers.