Budget: Kenya Medical Training College seeks to partner with counties

The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) will partner with county governments to help bridge the huge budget gaps in the institution's operations.

KMTC wants the governors to fund some of their activities. The college's Finance and Administrative Deputy Director Joseph Karanja said the budgetary allocation they get from the national government was very little, and that this hampers operations in its 38 constituent colleges spread throughout the country.

"We requested for Sh7 billion this financial year but we have only received Sh3 billion, leaving us with a deficit of Sh4 billion," Dr Karanja said.

He said the funding would have ensured they offer quality medical training and improve the institution's infrastructure.

Karanja said county governments will be offering them land, infrastructure or any other support that will work towards improving the students training.

"We have built five more colleges through the same kind of partnership," Karanja said. They are Makueni, Kapenguria (West Pokot), Kitale (Trans Nzoia), Ol Kalou (Nyandarua) and Sichei in Bungoma county.

In these counties, Dr Karanja said, they had been given land where they have built lecture halls, laboratories and hostels. Since health was fully devolved, county governments are also recruiting health personnel to provide medical care to the community.

Karanja said there is still shortage of staff in health facilities and, therefore, increasing colleges where students are trained will sort out the problem. "There is a shortfall of 40,000 health workers and we want to bridge the gap," he said.