College students in Nyeri decry end of lab courses

Some of the 200 students who are in second year training on medical laboratory sciences courses at Outspan Medical Training College in Nyeri, pondering their next move after their training was discontinued by the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board. Outspan Medical Training College's board have accused KMLTTTB for changing the regulatory framework. (PHOTO: KIBATA KIHU/ STANDARD)

About 200 medical laboratory science students from The Outspan Medical College in Nyeri have protested a move by the Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board to discontinue their course.

The students, who held protests in Nyeri yesterday, also blamed the college for misleading them to enroll for the course while the board had reviewed minimum entry grade from C Minus to C Plain.

The students accused the institution of admitting them with less grades, while they were aware that the board had changed the minimum intake qualification.

Ms Esther Njenga, who was accompanied by her father Peter Njenga said she joined the college two years ago and paid almost Sh450,000. But when contacted, the college's director Dr Macharia Kiruhi said the laboratory board sent a circular in 2012 indicating minimum admission grades were reviewed, but later changed in 2014.

"We had admitted the students until September this year when the board ordered us to discontinue them from learning," said Dr Kiruhi, adding that the institution is still waiting for a substantive response from the board.