KMTC admissions stalemate ends

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has finally allocated students to the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), marking a major shift in the way students are admitted to the institutions.

This ends a stalemate between the ministries of Education and Health over control of admissions to KMTC. The placement list shows that 3,740 students have been placed to study various programmes at KMTC against its declared capacity of 4,860.

Of these, 1,370 have expressed interest in pursuing a diploma in community health nursing. Another 1,140 have been placed to study for a diploma in clinical medicine. Some 545 students have been placed to study environmental health science while 445 will study medical laboratory services.

Last month, members of the Parliamentary Health Committee expressed concern over delayed admissions. They said several months after applying, none of the successful candidates had received an admission letter. The delay was reportedly occasioned by the new placement agency.

The MPs said KMTC was not a semi-autonomous agency of the Education ministry and asked officials to keep off.

During the House committee meeting, Principal Secretary Bellio Kipsang' and the KUCCPS acting Chief Executive Officer John Muraguri said the new agency was mandated to place students in all colleges and universities.

Muraguri said KUCCPS co-ordinates placement of all Government-sponsored students, including those at KMTC. Statistics from KUCCPS show that 21,217 students applied to be placed in all the KMTC facilities.

"Our interpretation is ensuring that the available spaces in all universities and colleges are awarded to deserving applicants," said Muraguri.