The Ministry of Health has initiated discussions with Treasury to reinstate Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding for the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students.
KMTC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kelly Oluoch on Tuesday revealed that Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa was actively engaging the National Treasury and the relevant Parliamentary Committees to reinstate the crucial financial aid.
Previously, KMTC students benefited from the HELB loan, however, the financial support was cut short at the end of the 2023/2024 financial year due to the government’s decision to impose austerity measures.
The stringent austerity measures coupled with budget cuts left many students frustrated and without any financial assistance for their medical education.
Meanwhile, Oluoch who spoke during a visit to Bondo KMTC emphasized that the lack of funding significantly impacted students from needy backgrounds, limiting their ability to pursue healthcare training.
Oluoch also highlighted President William Ruto’s directive last year which ordered the funding to be reinstated in the upcoming financial year which begins in July 2025.
"As a College, through the Ministry of Health, we will continue working closely with the National Treasury to ensure this commitment is realized," he added.
While promising the revival of the HELB funds to students, the KMTC boss also urged students and staff to foster collaboration in advancing the College’s Strategic Plan, which aims to position KMTC as a globally competitive institution in healthcare training.
The ongoing lobby by the Ministry of Health comes amidst a funding dilemma facing university students following HELB's decision to withhold funding to learners pending the determination of a case filed at the High Court which challenged the new funding model.
However, on Monday, January 3, HELB was forced to revert to its old system of disbursing the finances after students stormed the lender's offices at the Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.
The students, mostly from the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University protested the delays in disbursing the funds which the learners claimed had immensely affected their education.
Addressing the students outside the offices, HELB's lending manager King'ori Ndegwa revealed that all first and second years would receive their funding using the old formula, adding that the board had already disbursed Ksh3.1 billion to students.
