Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students have received a major boost after the government reinstated the Higher Education Loans Board (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.
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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.
According to Oluoch, since the program’s inception in the 2022/23 Financial Year, 22,342 KMTC students have benefited.
