‪KMTC Students To Access HELB Funding, Kindiki Says‬

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced that the government will convene a high-level meeting to finalise the rollout of Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) support for Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students, marking a major shift in financing for medical trainees.

Prof Kindiki said the government had approved a request by KMTC to include its students in the Higher Education Loans Board programme, and that he would meet officials from the Ministries of Health, Education and the National Treasury to agree on the implementation framework.

He spoke on Thursday during the 94th KMTC graduation ceremony, where he also warned that Kenya continues to face a severe shortage of health workers despite annually producing thousands of graduates.

Kenya currently has 230,000 health workers against a required 310,000—leaving a shortage of 80,000 professionals across the system.

Prof Kindiki stressed that a healthy population is critical for national development, adding that the government is working to expand opportunities for medical professionals both locally and abroad.

He said the administration has launched a job-creation initiative to help health workers secure employment overseas, including in countries such as Canada.

To address the financial burden of healthcare on households, the DP noted that nearly 28 million Kenyans are currently covered under the new social health insurance system, up from 7.5 million in 2022.

He said the introduction of the Social Health Authority (SHA) would further enhance access to quality healthcare services.

“Partnerships to provide medical equipment kits and improvements in the medical supply chain are underway to ensure medicines and other supplies reach hospitals and health centres on time and in the right quantities,” he said.

The Deputy President highlighted key reforms undertaken over the last three years, including the deployment of 107,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) nationwide.

Supported by Community Health Assistants trained at KMTC, CHPs now form the backbone of preventive and community-level healthcare, delivering services to households in all 1,250 wards across the country.

He added that through the Youth Enterprise Fund, small grants are available to support young people seeking overseas job opportunities, enabling them to gain global experience before returning to serve locally.

To boost medical training capacity, Prof Kindiki announced that the government will immediately operationalise 18 new KMTC campuses at a cost of Sh1 billion, enabling the admission of more students and helping close the persistent shortage of health workers.

He underscored the college’s central role in Kenya’s pursuit of universal health coverage noting that the institution produces 80 percent of the country’s middle-level health workforce.

“The college bridges the gap between policy and practice, making service delivery in the health sector a reality,” he said.