The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) has revealed that international recruitment firms have developed a keen interest in students specialising in key courses at the institution apart from Nursing.
According to the KMTC CEO Dr. Kelly Oluoch, recruitment firms from abroad, particularly in the US and UK, are keen on recruiting students who have specialised in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Clinical Medicine, Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Nutrition and Dietetics.
Oluoch, while addressing delegates on Thursday, further spotlighted that there has been a significant upswing in international job placement for KMTC graduates in the past year.
According to the CEO, there has been a 50% spike in international job verification requests, with the college having processed 3,249 job verification requests in 2024.
In January 2025, 385 requests from international recruitment firms were processed by the institution, which was threefold higher than in January 2024.
Recruitment firms from the United States and the United Kingdom (UK) had the highest demand for KMTC graduates as per the CEO.
"He explained that these requests come from recruiting firms seeking to verify the authenticity of documents presented by KMTC graduates who have applied, successfully undergone interviews, and are being considered for employment abroad," KMTC said in a statement.
The CEO attributed this rise to the growing demand for healthcare professionals globally, which has been catalysed by the aging populations, the burden of non-communicable diseases, and the post-pandemic workforce.
He also noted the high demand for KMTC graduates, who are famed for their competence and skills, has positioned the institution as a preferred recruitment hub for local and international employers.
Oluoch assured that the institution will station additional staff to ensure speedy tracking of job verification requests to ensure that the graduates secure the opportunities on time.
Furthermore, he asserted that the government's move to sign bilateral labour agreements with key global partners has also played a fundamental role in transitioning Kenyan health professionals abroad.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates a projected shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low and lower-middle-income countries.
"Health systems can only function with health workers; improving health service coverage and realizing the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is dependent on their availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality," the WHO said.
